Horoscope
by Khauzy
Summary: Heero was a boy with small amount of friends, and an even smaller desire to acquire them. When his school takes in two orphans created from the ongoing war, he finds himself thrown into an unexpected nest of friendship....and perhaps more? AU 1x2 pos. 3x4
1. Prologue

**HOROSCOPE**

Prologue: Orphans of War

"Did you hear? There are new students coming today."

"I heard they're orphans from the war."

"Again? I wish they _wouldn't._ They're so…._dirty_."

Heero stood a few feet away from the gossiping students, his face doing nothing to betray the thoughts rolling through his head. _Spoiled brats, _he thought with disgust.

It wasn't the first time the school had accepted students that were left with nothing from the repercussions of war. Heero himself had once been held in contempt for being one of the dirty, parentless children the school had taken in. However, the rumors were instantly quelled when they learned of his guardian, Odin Lowe, who was supposedly away fighting in the war.

Unlike the other students that flitted about the halls, Heero didn't come from prestigious and noble backgrounds. His 'family' had been a working-class commoner. Odin was a musician turned mercenary turned soldier who had been living in the Colonies with Heero until nine years ago. They weren't related by blood, but Odin and Heero regarded each other as nothing less than family.

When Heero turned thirteen, he was enrolled in the Earth Sphere's St. Gabriel Academy that educated students until the end of their secondary level careers. Technically, they could not afford to pay for the ridiculously steep tuition to keep his son enrolled in the school, but the salary from Odin's meager position as a freelance mercenary, his left over money from his musical performances, and Heero's own natural intelligence and skills had helped considerably.

But the cost of living was still unimaginably high.

It was short of a miracle that Heero survived as long as he did in the high society scene. The cost of books, his uniform, the dorm then pile on the two-thousand-dollar-per-semester tuition, Heero was certain even his gift of astuteness wouldn't keep him in the school for long.

And that was almost the case when one of installments of the tuition payments was a few weeks late in Heero's first year. Heero was threatened with being removed from the dorms, and with no place to stay with Odin gone.

That was when he met Quatre. The blond had been one of the few people brave enough to approach him. The boy was all smiles from what Heero had seen before when he bothered to take note of the other. Heero tried his best, even at the tender age of thirteen, to keep his personal life just what it was. Personal: No one else's business or concern. But the blue-eyed blond was not easily dissuaded when the brunette easily snubbed his efforts to get to know him.

"I heard you're related to Odin Lowe," the gentle boy began one of this several attempts at drawing Heero into conversing with him. "I've been to one of his performances before when my family visited the L1 Colony. He's very talented."

Heero rewarded his efforts with a grunt and a lovely view of his back as he walked away.

The blond tried numerous other times to engage the other boy until finally, Heero conceded and let the other into his world. It had taken a considerable amount of patience on Heero's part to learn to accept someone like Quatre into his life, but he found it to be worth it-for several reasons.

Quatre, or more known as Quatre Raberba Winner, was the son of CEO of Winner Enterprises. The company had great influence on the Colonies and soon, was able to spread its power to Earth Sphere. Despite being born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Quatre was the image of kindness and charity. He couldn't look away when he saw someone in front of him who obviously in need of help.

And he knew he wanted to help Heero the moment the other agreed to be his friend.

It took a bit of effort on Quatre's part to get his father to grant his wish to aid his new companion. His father didn't see the benefit of paying for Quatre's new friend, but the blond was adamant about getting his way. After all, he was the Winner's youngest child and only son. How could he say _no_? After some 'negotiating' and a near filibuster on Heero's behalf, Quatre had his father paying the missed bill and covering the rest of Heero's living expenses.

To say Heero was surprised was an understatement.

Regardless, he felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude toward the Winner heir and was determined to pay the boy back somehow. Quatre had laughed at Heero's resolve to repay the blond, and simply dismissed the notion with a simple "That's what friends are for, Heero."

_Friends._ Heero tried out the word and decided, for Quatre, he could like it.

Heero moved from his spot against the wall, finally tired of listening to the irritating chatter. He made his way down the hall, intent on finding the previously thought of friend, until he was stopped by the familiar, high-pitch shrill of his name.

"_Heeeeeeroooooo_!" Relena Darlian called as she came bounding down the corridor towards Heero, her strawberry blond hair bouncing around her. She stopped as soon as she reached the other and grabbed his hand. She struggled to catch her breath.

"Relena," was all Heero bothered to say to acknowledge the girl. Soon after he had befriended Quatre, Relena had seen it as an open opportunity to push her way into Heero's life as well.

Unlike Quatre, Relena was the stereotype prim and proper, high-class girl. Relena acted like a princess, believing that the entire world revolved around her. Okay, she _was_ a princess, but that was not the point.

Relena was the youngest child of the former King Peacecraft of the Sanq Kingdom along with her older brother Milliardo.

After the assassination of her parents, Relena had been adopted by the Darlian family, continuing her life in lavished surroundings, while her brother disappeared from the public eye. Relena didn't remember Milliardo very well or her life at the Sanq Kingdom, so she was unbothered by their disappearance.

Regardless of her kingdom being destroyed, Relena still deemed herself a princess. And as a princess, Relena expected to get everything she wanted-right now, that happened to be Heero Yuy's unyielding affection. She had tried, almost as many times as Quatre to talk to him, to convince the former Colonist to be her boyfriend.

He politely declined each time, but the entire school knew that there was no way that anything could escape Relena once she was determined enough to pursue it and pretty much considered the two to be a couple. Quatre had mentioned one day they would be cute together if Relena wasn't so overbearing with her feelings. Heero simply grumbled in response at the notion that had Quatre giggling at behind his hands.

"I saw the new students," she finally said after she regained her normal breathing patterns. She continued even after Heero showed no interest in hearing more. "It's a boy and a girl."

"I'm looking for Quatre," Heero said, completely unconcerned with the new students.

"Don't you want to meet them?" Relena pressed, ignoring the other's obvious disinterest.

"No," replied Heero flatly. His annoyance beginning to seep into his voice. Something Quatre also forgot to consider when suggesting a relationship.

"Why not? I'm sure that they're-"

"I don't want to meet them," Heero snapped quietly, cutting off the girl.

Heero jerked his hand out of her loose grasp and returned it to his side, effectively knocking her off balance. He had to suppress a tiny smirk that threatened to form at seeing the bothersome girl teetering on her feet.

Deciding that he'd wasted enough time entertaining the princess, he continued on his small sojourn to find his blond friend. To his surprise, he found his friend crouching low to the wall with a few other students at his side. They were all trying to covertly peer around wall, obviously attempting to study what was on the other side.

Curiosity wasn't normally something Heero Yuy would indulge himself in, but he _did_ want to know why his friend was bent low spying with a small group of _girls._

"Quatre what are you doing?" Heero asked slowly after a beat, deciding that he really did want to know what the blond was up to.

Quatre jumped at the unexpected sound of his friend's voice, consequently startling the girls that were crouched next to him.

"H-Heero!" he sputtered in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you," was the simple answer. "What are _you_ doing?"

Quatre blushed at being caught doing something clearly questionable. It wasn't like the blond to invade someone else's privacy. And considering he had been found hiding behind a wall, it was safe to say that was _exactly _what he was doing.

"The new students are talking with the Dean," Quatre supplied when he realized his friend wasn't upset with him, standing so that the brunette wasn't looking down at him. Heero could look rather intimidating without trying.

_The students_ again_? _Heero groaned inwardly. First Relena, now Quatre. He supposed they _must_ be something interesting if the young Winner reduced himself to sneaking peeks at them. Though, he couldn't fault his friend for behaving the way he was. After all, Quatre had an impressive twenty-nine sisters. Something things were _bound _to rub off on the sole boy.

The sounds of the girls 'eeping" and scrambling into an upright position was indication enough the objects of their curious stares had turned towards them. Not wanting to be caught displaying distasteful manners, the girls quickly feigned conversation and Quatre shifted nervously, not sure what to do. Heero, unbothered by the prospect of being seen, simply watched as the dean and the two students entered into his direct line of vision.

Both the students were brunettes, each with a shade progressively lighter than Heero's. The taller one was a solemn looking male, a caramel fringe of hair concealing one eye. The only visible eye was a deep olive colour, gazing intently forward as he glided across the floor. His build was tall and lean. He had the shape and light stride that clearly marked him as someone with some sort of acrobatic background.

The other was much less graceful in appearance. Unlike the boy walking beside them, the other student had an infectious bounce to her step. Her face was round, traces of baby fat still left behind on the slightly plumped cheeks. Her mauve eyes glinted behind messy chocolate bangs. Behind them, a long, neatly gathered braid swished along with the established pace.

Heero's eyes narrowed. It wasn't until the trio was closer did Heero notice a severe flaw in the information Relena had shared with him. Upon closer inspection, the cobalt-eyed boy realized this 'she' he was appraising was actually, a _he._

_Relena needs to get her eyes checked,_ Heero decided to himself. Then again, until the boy had gotten closer to him, he had seen the feminine qualities. But the fact that both the students were wearing the _boy's_ uniforms left Heero questioning Relena's common sense. It wasn't like she hadn't seen long haired boys. Her estranged brother himself kept his hair long.

The Dean stopped when he noticed the strange gathering of students standing around in an odd place in the halls. He was going to question them to see if they were up to no good, when he noticed Quatre among them.

"Ah, Mr. Winner!" The round man greeted jovially. "What a pleasure to see you."

"Hello Dean Zwolf," Quatre responded with equal mirth. "How are you today? I haven't seen you since the luncheon the past week."

"Good, good." The man chuckled heartily, causing his considerable belly to ripple underneath his suit. "I've been busy you know. Mostly now with the incoming students."

He gestured towards the two at his side. It was then that Heero noticed the boys taking in their appearances carefully, almost as if sizing them up.

_They probably have heard how this school tends to welcome war orphans, _he mused silently.

Quatre seemed undaunted, or oblivious, to the vigilant watch he was under. He smiled warmly at the two, extending his hand.

"Nice to meet you! I'm Quatre Raberba Winner."

The taller said nothing. He was proving to be even quieter and unapproachable as Heero had been, not even making a noise in response. The braided boy, however, demonstrated himself to be very outgoing and took Quatre's offered and in a firm, and slightly brain-rattling, hand shake.

"The name's Duo! Duo Maxwell! Nice to meet'cha!" he practically shouted, continuing to jerk the other's hand up and down. Heero almost laughed at the comical expression his friend was making as the powerful hand shake was making him visibly dizzy.

Duo let him go with a short bark of laughter, clapping the blond playfully on the back.

"You're okay, Kid!" Duo decided, a wide smile breaking out on his face. Quatre shook his head to clear his slight distorted vision before smiling back at the brunette. His attitude certainly was contagious.

"Trowa," was all the other said, not keen on shaking hands if that was how it was going to be done.

Heero figured from their starkly contrasting personalities that the two did not know each other previously, but just happened to be brought to the schools attention nearly simultaneously. Trowa seemed more quiet and introverted like himself, while Duo, at first glance, seemed to be a perpetual ball of energy.

Quatre smiled at Trowa, pleased that Trowa settled on permitting the blond to at least become acquainted with him. The Dean beamed at the students willful openness with Quatre. An idea struck him and he patted Quatre similarly, albeit notably softer than Duo had, on the back.

"Why don't you and Mr. Yuy show them around, Mr. Winner, hmm?" The Dean suggested.

Quatre smiled happily at the notion and Heero almost looked mortified. He'd purposefully kept silent during the entire exchange, hoping only Quatre would go noticed by the two. Not that he was concerned with Trowa, but Duo-

As if sensing his discomfort, Duo turned in his direction to locate this 'Mr. Yuy.' The violet eyed boy's grin only widened as he confirmed in his mind the Heero was the one in question. The glint in his eye grew and Heero decided that that glint was dangerous.

Heero inwardly groaned when he heard Quatre quickly agree to the Dean's proposal. He felt a small knot form uncomfortably in his stomach. He knew then that his personal space was about to shrink and his unexpected circle of friends was about to grow.

**つづく**


	2. Chapter 1: Competition

**HOROSCOPE **

Chapter One: Competition

It had only been a few minutes into the tour when Heero felt that his ears were going to be talked off. He reached up and momentarily brushed his fingers against a lobe to confirm for himself that they were, indeed, still there. That did little to reassure him that they wouldn't fall off _soon_ .

_I didn't think anyone talked as much as Relena,_ Heero thought offhandedly.

The new brunette, Duo, was chatting up a storm with a gleeful Quatre, but he hadn't quite reached Relena's level of chatty. Heero was beyond thankful for that fact. He didn't think he could take two people like that. She truly had 'The Gift of Gab'. Though, Heero found it hard to understand what made that annoying habit of hers a _gift._

"So you're from L2?" Quatre asked conversationally. The blond was so used to having only Heero around for company that Duo's unrelenting need to talk was refreshing. So far Quatre had learned Duo's shoe size, pants size, nationality, favorite food, colour, sport, list of material wants, and birthday. Quatre figured that the last two were intended to go hand and hand and he couldn't help himself but laugh at Duo's charisma.

_Must be that American charm I've heard about,_ Quatre thought. Quatre himself was Arabian, his family naturally more reserved and private. And Heero….The Japanese boy reminded him of a samurai sometimes. Serious, silent, calculating. Although, Quatre laughed at the image, immediately thinking of the horrible voiced-over samurai dramas he used watched on television.

_Perhaps a ninja then._

Looking back to Duo, the blond smiled warmly. When Quatre had been informed of the orphans coming to their school, he expected forlorn and withdrawn children, not someone as bright and uplifting as Duo. If the blond hadn't been introduced to him by the Dean himself, Quatre would have never guess that he lost his parents to the war. Duo's disposition was a far cry from someone who had everything close to him violently taken.

Trowa, on the other hand, was something more that Quatre had anticipated. The uni-banged boy was quiet and careful, only adding to the conversation when he was directly spoken to, or if Duo prodded him enough for a response. Quatre didn't think the other was sad, he was just-

_I don't know what he is,_ Quatre admitted to himself. He felt the same desire growing to help Trowa the same way that he had done for Heero.

"Yup, Colony brat borne and raised," Duo paused before laughing lightly. "Well not exactly _raised._"

Quatre only nodded, not entirely sure if it was appropriate for him to laugh as Duo had, but nonetheless continued to offer the other his smile. The blond had been surprised to learn that Duo had lived in a church before being deposited on the Earth Sphere. The crucifix, which turned out to simply be a cross, was a gift given to Duo from the Father and Sister.

It was a small church, Duo explained. L2 had been hit significantly hard by the war between the Colonies and the Earth Sphere, and as such, not as many people held any certain faith in any sort of god. Duo was one of them, telling the Father and Sister he didn't believe in God, but the God of Death. The seven year old at the time couldn't account for bearing witness to any miracles, but corpses were a dollar a dozen where he grew up. He'd seen enough of them to last a lifetime. They took his admission in stride and continued their unwavering support and care for the boy.

"It's because of Father Maxwell and Sister Helen that I was even able to come to the Earth in the first place," the brunette confessed with a fond smile.

Quatre felt like part of the story was missing, but wasn't so bold as to rudely question someone he'd just met. _If Duo wants me to know, he'll tell me, _he reasoned with himself.

Heero had only been mildly interested to learn that Duo was from the Colonies, not unlike himself. Since he could remember, Heero looked up at metal plates in place of the sky. He found himself idly wondering what Duo thought about being able to see the blue sky for the first time. He shook his head at the ridiculous thought. What did it matter what the other thought about it? If Heero had his way, it would only be Quatre that the hyper American orbited around. Heero sighed to himself realizing that he didn't think that was likely.

Trowa decided to keep his origins and history confidential, but he did at least supply that he believed himself to be from European decent. Quatre nodded his acceptance. He knew it was going to take a long time, maybe even _forever_, until the stoic boy felt comfortable enough to find trust in his new small group of friends.

"I'm hungry," Duo suddenly announced, followed by a loud rumble from his stomach in confirmation.

Quatre laughed as Duo blushed at the rather noisy sound his tummy decided to make and led the other towards the cafeteria. Heero shrugged when the blond turned a moment later to stare expectantly at him. Heero was all-too familiar with that look. Relena had given it several times, but when Quatre looked at him that way, he didn't feel the same instinct to bolt.

_Aren't you coming?_ The look clearly said. With a sigh, he'd been doing that lately, he noted, Heero followed after the blond and the brunette. Quatre turned a similar, yet softer gaze at the taller boy still behind them. Trowa shrugged as Heero had and stepped forward, not really seeing the need to distance himself from his present company yet. Quatre's smile widened at their actions and the four boys made their short trip to the cafeteria.

Duo's mouth was practically flooding by the time he was close enough to the doors for the delicious aroma of the food to wrap itself around his senses. He licked his lips before darting into the sea of students, fully intent on getting all he could at the buffet style spread. Heero and Trowa opted for finding seats in the crowded area while the other two stocked up on food.

It was a good five minutes later that they returned, food piled impossibly high on both their plates. Quatre had blushed at the startled face Heero made, but quickly dispelled any thoughts the other was probably having by pointing to the taller boy beside him. Duo grinned and admitted that _he_ was the one who constructed the precarious tower of food on the blond's plate.

Producing another pair of plates from underneath the others, the boys divvied up the food between themselves. Duo clearly held the monopoly for appetite, as his plate was still hidden under the amass of foodstuffs he collected. Trowa was in second, but he only picked slowly at his food. Most of which he noticed had been snuck on there by Duo. Heero and Quatre kept their plates within more standard proportions.

They ate quietly, Duo and Quatre occasionally exchanging a few words. Trowa looked on and nodded when needed, deciding on participating in the conversation silently. Heero was, however, too distracted by the nearby conversation of the students. They, very obviously, whispered about the two new boys seated with himself and Quatre. It was quite rare, now that Heero thought about it. Someone as aloof as himself and someone as wealthy as Quatre _associating _with the dirty orphans. Heero pushed that thought out of his head quickly. They were not dirty and there was nothing wrong with what he and Quatre were doing.

"There you are, Heero!"

Heero caught himself before he growled too loudly, but the other brunettes at the table seemed to pick up on the low sound he emitted from his throat. The person in question, Relena, didn't hear it and was about to invite herself to sit down when she noticed the unfamiliar faces looking at her. Her waxed brows knitted in consideration as she studied the foreign faces. She gasped and turned to Heero with her hands on her hips.

"I thought you didn't want go to meet the students, Heero?" Relena asked, not bothering to hide the accusation in her voice.

"I didn't," Heero shrugged. "That's where I found Quatre."

Relena turned when the lighter blond waved at her with a nervous smile. Relena always felt a natural sense of competition when it came to Quatre. After all, the Arabian had succeeded in befriending Heero before she could. Not only that, but the boy also stole her position as the most well-to-do person at school. Winner Enterprises net income made Vice Minister Darlian's government salary look like a middle class salary. She frowned a bit. Heero would meet the new student's with _him_ but not _her?_

"Why don't you have a seat Miss Relena?" Quatre offered, standing up to pull out the chair on his other side, Heero already occupying the seat between the blond and Duo. Quatre knew Relena encompassed a certain level of distaste towards him, but he wouldn't allow her ill will to uproot his manners.

The Perfect Gentleman.

Relena nodded her thanks and took the seat, allowing Quatre to push her gently under the round table. As soon as she was settled, Quatre returned to his seat and she rounded on the three brunettes seated before her. Her eyes were steady, intent on getting the information that she wanted. Just when it seemed she was going to tear into the boys, her face softened drastically into a smile.

"Welcome to St. Gabriel Academy!" Relena chirped, immediately calming the pressure in the air. Trowa still remained tense, not convinced of the girl's motives. Duo, on the other hand, gave Relena a goofy grin and laughed. He didn't see much of a threat in the girl.

"Yeah thanks!" Duo said. Quatre relaxed when Relena continued to smile, but Heero was not easily fooled. He'd been around Relena long enough to know when she was up to something. For right now, however, Relena seemed to content herself by conversing with Duo, just as Quatre had. Introductions and stories were exchanged and Heero gritted his teeth when he realized Duo and Relena might be getting _along._

_Why do I feel like life is going to get a lot __**louder**_? He groaned.

Relena only stayed a few minutes, dismissing herself after informing the others that she had promised to meet her friend, Dorothy Catalonia for lunch. Heero would have danced for joy if he was the type for that sort of thing. Dorothy was significantly worse than Relena in Heero's opinion, only because the girl _worshipped_ the ground Relena walked on. He had yet to experience the girl speaking to him without her mentioning Relena's 'greatness' in some way.

When the girl had finally disappeared from their view, Duo leaned back in his chair and patted his rather full belly, almost purring in satisfaction. Heero didn't think the American was going to be able to move with all that food weighing him down, and was taken aback when the long haired adolescent jumped up out of his seat, stretching out his muscles.

"Well, time to work off all that food!" He laughed at his own declaration. Quatre smiled, slightly confused at what Duo meant and Trowa shrugged, sipping at his glass of water. When Duo noticed the others not following suit, he positioned his hands on his hips just as Relena had moments earlier.

"Oh don't tell me you guy are going to be _bums_ and let all that _stuff _just sit there," Duo frowned. His tone was harsh, but the tiny smile tugging at his mouth betrayed that he was still joking around. "You're going to gain weight if you're not careful." Heero looked at Duo incredulously. He most certainly was _not_ a bum and _nor _was he gaining any weight. Heero rose, accepting Duo's challenge.

"What are we doing?" Heero asked, keeping the strong tone of challenge in his voice. Duo grinned broadly when he observed he had drawn Heero into his game. The American had determined by looking at the painfully serious Japanese boy that he wasn't one to back down from any sort of competition.

"Basketball," declared Duo. Heero's eyebrows twitched dangerously and Quatre sighed, shaking his head. Duo had told the blond earlier that he loved basketball and knew it was only a matter of time before Heero learned as well. The young heir wondered how the brunette could tell that this was the angle to use to get Heero follow his lead.

Heero merely nodded his answer and walked out of the cafeteria, presumably towards the basketball courts. Duo immediately jumped up after the other and tailed him out into the hallway. Quatre sighed, yet again, as he gathered up their plates on the table. He was bewildered momentarily when a rougher hand brushed against his as he reached for a plate. Blue eyes trailed up from the hand, to the length of the arm until they were level with an olive orb. Quatre smiled kindly at Trowa who had extended a helping hand.

"Let me," was all the European said, promptly gathering up the other half of the plates before the blond could offer any form of protest. Quatre continued to smile as he and the taller boy made their way to the deposit window. The brunette was quiet again, but that was okay, Quatre thought. Actions often spoke louder than words and he understood that Trowa wanted to open up to him-eventually. The Arabian also understood that the stoic boy would have to confront his scars left from his exposure to the war that left him shying away from human interaction.

_Baby steps,_ the blond smiled to himself after they dropped off their plates at the window, offering the woman in charge another charming smile. _Baby steps._

Heero and Duo entered the court, their blazers discarded by the bleachers overlooking the court. The cobalt-eyed boy had wanted to change into clothes more suitable for physical activity, but had to dismiss the notion when he remembered the other brunette walking beside him most likely didn't _have_ anything to swap out. Duo grabbed a ball from the nearby rack and began to dribble languidly, checking the amount of air inside the rubber globe.

"Rules?" Heero inquired. He only asked for the sake of convenience. It wasn't a matter of _if_ he won, just how long it was going to take. When Duo suddenly grinned, Heero found himself swallowing involuntarily.

_Why does it unnerve me when he smiles like that?_

"Anything goes. No such thing as a 'personal foul'. First to ten points wins," Duo pronounced before his grin turned fiendish. "That is….if you think you're up for the challenge, _Mr. Yuy_."

Heero twitched slightly, but his face remained blank. He nodded his approval of the rules, if you could really count 'anything goes' as a rule. Duo bounced the ball a few more times before passing it to Heero.

_Easy,_ Heero thought as he watched the other boy shift his weight from foot to foot, his hands held forward and open palms facing out towards his opponent. His stance was amateurish, at best. It was obvious that the long haired boy had never played competitively for any sort of organized team previously. _He most likely just played with his friends wherever they could. _Heero surmised. Despite the match up being seemingly one-sided, Heero had no plans of going easy on the other.

Heero surged forward, cupping the ball in his hand as he moved. He made it past the other brunette, but faltered when he heard the ball connect with the concrete _behind _him.

Heero turned just as Duo sprung into the air, the ball leaving his hold shortly with a practiced flick of his wrist. The Japanese youth failed to stifle the low rumbling sound that escaped from his throat. He didn't know if he should be more surprised or angry that the other had managed to steal the ball without him noticing. The net made a soft _swish_ sound as the ball slid easily through it. Duo spun around, eyes bright with triumph.

"Aww yeah! Nothin' but net!" he cheered, pumping his fists excitedly. Heero walked over briskly, snatching up the ball from where it had ceased rolling. He'd made the mistake of underestimating the other once-he would not make the same error twice.

Duo found it harder to pinch the ball off of Heero when they started moving again. He was guarded, careful, and resolved not to let him get past his defenses a second time. Within a few minutes, Heero was up by one point after scoring two impressive shots consecutively.

But Duo wasn't all out of tricks yet.

The next moment the other made to rush past him, Duo's hand shot out. Heero let out a strange, gargled sound as the tie he neglected to remove was sharply yanked back. He stumbled around a bit, efficiently stunned out his pursuit of the American while Duo quickly seized the dropped ball, sprinting to the net and scoring again.

Heero threw a dark glare at the other, not appreciating nearly being hung by his own clothing. He jerked his tie loose, throwing the offending article to the ground so it wouldn't hinder him further. Duo couldn't help but laugh at the horribly disgruntled face the other was making. It was kind of…._cute._

The game progressed similarly, Duo pulling stunts at times it was convenient for him and Heero seething at the other's lack of sportsmanship. The hyper active brunette even went so far as to haul the other boy back by his belt, causing him to fall back on his rear. To say the least, Heero had not been pleased when he saw Duo lining up a shot from his position on the ground. Heero's pride was saved to some extent when the ball slid along the rim and fell off, missing the net.

Neither were sure when, but at some point, Quatre and Trowa arrived at the court. They sat in the row of seats a ways away from the fence so that any stray balls wouldn't come flying at them. Quatre wasn't particularly in the mood to nurse a black eye and he was sure the taller boy next to him wasn't too keen on that either.

Back on the court, neither boy was concerned about who was winning and who was losing. It was no longer about the total points, but a battle of wits. Duo only focused on finding other sneaky ways to get the ball, and Heero concentrated on not being fooled again. Heero's eyes narrowed. He was getting tired, but the long haired brunette still seemed to be energized. Cobalt eyes shifted as he tried to think of what to do next. He would _not_ lose.

Duo was closing in towards the basket when Heero, without thinking, reached out pulled on the closest part of the boy he could reach.

That happened to be Duo's hair.

With a loud yelp, Duo fell back after his braid was released from the harsh treatment. Heero scored the final basket easily. Duo frowned when the ball came rolling back, bumping against his foot. His brows furrowed in irritation as he jumped up from the cold concrete.

"That was under handed!" Duo exclaimed, obviously upset about having his hair tugged.

"You said 'anything goes'," Heero smirked tiredly. Duo's mouth opened and closed a few times, for once speechless. Heero allowed himself to flop down on the ground, worn and slightly over heated from the activity. Duo eventually opted for throwing the ball back in frustration. It hit the rim of the net before ricocheting, connecting with the back of the American's head.

Quatre gasped and hurried off the benches, worried that his new friend was hurt. He rushed to the brunette's side who was now sitting on his rear, blinking in confusion about what had just happened.

"Duo, are you okay!" Quatre cried, checking the other for any kind of damage. Duo nodded, still completely oblivious as of how he had ended up on the floor. Quatre's fussing was immediately halted by a bizarre, loud pulse-like sound. The blond turned in the direction of the noise and was shocked to find Heero sitting in his spot on the ground _laughing._

"It's not funny, Heero!" Quatre scolded. He'd be happier about his friend laughing for once later when Duo wasn't injured. Heero clutched his side, the combination of a full stomach and the unfamiliar, quivering sensation washing over his body causing his belly to tighten uncomfortably.

Duo looked at Heero, the confusion finally melting from his face. Slowly, his grin returned and he joined the other brunette in laughing. The blond shook his head in exasperation as Trowa came up next to him. Quatre found himself giggling a little bit, even though he knew what they were laughing at wasn't really funny at all.

They continued awhile longer until Heero couldn't take the pain in his stomach anymore and Duo forgot why he'd started cracking up in the first place. The long haired youth wiped a few stray tears that slipped past his eyes before standing, casually rubbing the now sore spot on the back of his head.

"That was great," Duo sighed. He opened the first few buttons on his shirt, creating self-ventilation in the stifling heat. He fanned himself lightly as the other boy on the ground slowly made his way to his feet.

"We need to be getting back," Quatre informed, handing both a towel that he had considerately brought with him. "Liberty is going to be over soon."

Liberty was the daily free time allotted for the students to rest from classes. It was divided into three separate sections, one in the morning before classes, from twelve to one in the afternoon for lunch, and then again in the evening after classes before lights out. During the weekdays, the students were not permitted to leave the campus.

"It was fun while it lasted," Duo breathed. He twisted around to face Heero and jutted out his hand. "It was a good game, _Mr. Yuy._" The cobalt-eyed boy frowned, opting for shoving his sullied towel in the other's hands. Heero chuckled a bit when Duo dropped it quickly and wiped his palms across his slacks, disgusted.

"It's Heero," the brunette said as he exited the courts. It took Duo a moment to piece together that the other had given him his name. Of course he'd heard it when the blond reprimanded him earlier, but the long haired boy had been disoriented from the unexpected blow to the back of the skull.

_He must've gotten tired of me calling him 'Mr. Yuy',_ Duo laughed to himself. He continued to watch Heero as he retreated to the main building. Suddenly, Duo's cheeks puffed out and his eyebrows once again met in anger. He cupped his hands around his mouth took in a deep breath before releasing it in a shout.

"Only _girls _pull hair, you cheater!"

Had Heero still been within ear shot, Quatre was positive the other would be smirking.

Duo's vigor and enthusiasm for basketball visibly did not carry over into the classroom setting. Quatre asked to see his time table and smiled sadly and informed the other that he would be own his own for the next lecture. Duo groaned, but took it as an opportunity to learn more about where he was.

Learning algebra and calculus was not exactly what he had in mind.

Duo didn't have any real formal education, excluding the few months of school he attended when living in the Maxwell Church. Most of his time spent there, however, was getting into scuffles with the more well-to-do students.

_You smell like a sewer!_

Duo was prepared to slam his face against the desk when he took another glance down at the papers and textbook in front of him. The pages were covered with letters and crazy symbols. There was no way he was going to be able to catch up with students who already spent most of their lives in school learning what he wouldn't have ever had worry about when he was still calling the streets his home.

_Go back to the gutter you crawled out of!_

He glanced around him in the riser-style desks and watched as almost every other pencil around him was scratching furiously across the pages. Violet eyes returned to their own papers.

_If x equals y and y is four point five times the radius of circle C times the circumference of circle A, what is the value of z? ….WHAT!_

Duo growled, mussing up his bangs in frustration. Who the hell _cared_ what _z_ equaled? Z was a _letter._ It shouldn't equal _anything_. What happened to _real_ math? One plus one is two and two plus two is four. That, was something Duo could understand. He snarled again in aggravation, deciding to beat his head against the mahogany surface.

"Could you keep it down?" a sharp voice cut in from the left.

Seated next to Duo was an irritated looking boy. His features were angular, the brunette noted. Dark hair was left open and framed his face, making the lines of his features appear softer. Inky, almond-shaped eyes were obscured slightly by a pair of wire-framed glasses. His mouth was set in a tight scowl as he stared at Duo.

"Yeah sorry," the brunette mumbled apologetically, scratching at the back of his neck embarrassedly. He peeked over slowly at the other boy's and noticed he was finished. "Whoa! How'd you do all that!" Duo shouted, not realizing how naturally loud he was.

The nun at the front of the classroom hushed him with a frown, wagging a knobby finger at him in warning. Duo nodded sheepishly before scooting down in his seat, trying to hide himself from the nun's angry glares. _Nothing like Sister Helen, _Duo decided.

"It's easy," the Asian boy said, sliding the frames away from his face and setting them carefully on his desk. "Think of it like you would a jigsaw puzzle. You have to find all the missing pieces and match them up perfectly to see the picture."

"I don't play with puzzles," Duo grumbled agitatedly. "All these _this equals that_ and _solve this to know that_ are pointless. I can't _have_ x amount of apples and give you _y_ and still have _z_ left over. That makes no _sense_."

The other student was about to speak, thinking the brunette had finished. He started to open his mouth.

"I _knew_ I should have paid attention to my fortune today, but _noooo_." Duo continued in mocking tone. "_You've been looking around your place lately and wondering if it's really where you want to be._ Well I get that _now. _No I don't want to be in algebra."

Duo made it a point to check his daily horoscope everyd ay. It was an odd habit that had started when he was still living on the streets of L2. He had found a discarded newspaper in the streets and picked it up and kept it with him. He wasn't able to read it at the time, but the pictures captured the six year old youth's attention. Duo asked Father Maxwell to read it to him when he finally came to settle in the church.

"You will soon be introduced to new experiences and surroundings. Count it as a blessing," Father had read. And it had been true. It had taken awhile from the time he found the paper to the moment he was taken to the church, but the wait was worth it.

The dark haired adolescent didn't think the other realized that he was ranting. He found it amusing if not a bit annoying. The Asian boy put a hand in front of Duo's face, succeeding in stopping his tirade on algebra for the moment.

"I'll help you," he offered. He held up a finger to silence the other when he saw the excitement wash over his features. "But only to keep you quiet. I can't stand people who are weak enough to whine."

The brunette puffed out his cheeks at the insult, but didn't say anything else regarding the matter. He was just happy to have someone who seemed like they knew what they were doing to help him.

Time passed considerably faster once Duo was able to get through the problems with minimal cursing and problems. There were still numerous equations he couldn't process yet, but at least the page wasn't embarrassingly blank anymore.

"Thanks a lot for your help," Duo said as the bell signaling the end of class rang. The boy next to him nodded and gathered up his things as he headed for the door. The brunette jumped up quickly, eager to continue conversing with the latest friendly face.

If the other had any reservations about being followed, he kept them to himself. Duo trailed the boy closely, making sure the other couldn't escape before they finished their conversation. The pair stepped out into the hallway. Duo was surprised to see Heero and Quatre standing near the door.

"Duo!" Quatre called out happily when he saw Duo. The blond made his way over to ask his friend how his class was. The two quieter boys, however, decided to engaged themselves in a small staring contest before the darker haired one grunted and walked away. It took Duo a moment to realize his target had escaped.

"Hey where'd he get to!" he questioned, turning and trying to see if he could find where the other managed to get to in such a short amount of time.

"You mean Wufei?" Heero asked, finally supplying the other brunette with the boy's name. Duo shrugged. The entire class period he never thought to ask for the other's name, but then again, neither did this alleged _Wufei._

Chang Wufei was a fellow Colonist from L5. He came from a powerful and honorable clan that initially originated in the lush mountain environment of China. Unlike most members of his clan, Wufei preferred brains over brawn and dedicated himself to becoming a well-educated scholar. This was not to say that he was lacking any sort of physical prowess, however. Wufei prided himself in his intellectual abilities _and_ his mastery of many styles of martial arts.

When Wufei had first appeared at St. Gabriel in A.C. 194, rumors were launched stating that he had been married before arriving, but that his wife was killed. No one knew how exactly the outlandish tales began, but they were easily squashed by Wufei when he immediately stated that he had no need of 'weak women' in his life.

Quatre frowned somewhat when he did manage to catch a glimpse of the retreating form.

It was a self-established fact at St. Gabriel that Quatre and Wufei were rivals. Not so much as to be in heated competition, but enough that sometimes the air would become tense around them. The boys were still friends, although not as close as Quatre was with Heero. The Winner heir had maintained the place of valedictorian since he enrolled into the academy, and had only been bumped from his pedestal when Wufei registered. After the first time the Chinese student managed to surpass the Arabian, it didn't happen again.

"I'm not here for competing. I'm here to learn," Wufei had stated flatly when the blond became curious enough to ask about it. "So what if I'm always in second? This is a prestigious academy. A certificate of any sort from this school will grant me the chance at a good job in the real world."

They were almost in a deadlock, the dark haired boy only narrowly grasping second each time. Quatre held a strong belief that Wufei did it on purpose to make himself look better. The blond couldn't account for _why_, but he liked to think it was because of their slowly growing friendship.

The blond smiled faintly once Wufei was completely out of his view. He was glad to see that he had opened up to someone, even if it was the type of person most likely to grate on his nerves like Duo. It was a sign that the other was maturing enough to allow new things into 'his personal bubble'.

_Heero and Trowa are doing the same,_ Quatre smiled to himself.

"He's probably going back to his dorm room," Quatre supplied. "You missed most of the day already since you and Trowa arrived so late in the afternoon." Duo blinked at the blond, his indigo eyes becoming impossibly wide.

"You mean….it's _over_?" Duo asked, tears of joy almost springing to his eyes. The American was certainly one for dramatics.

"Yes Duo," Quatre laughed. "It's over. At least for today."

Duo let out a whoop of joy, pumping his fists in the air. The blond laughed and Heero shook his head at the display. A few students that were walking by sent the American nasty glares, but were quickly subdued when Heero returned the gesture ten-fold. His frown grew when he felt the sudden need to protect the brunette still celebrating in front of him.

_Why?_ Heero asked himself. _I shouldn't care. Quatre will take care of him._

When the long haired boy finally settled down, they decided to search for Trowa, who had managed to slip by them unnoticed. Quatre fretted that the lithe boy may be lost somewhere in the halls. Heero said he was probably avoiding him and was rewarded with a tiny smack by the blond. Duo laughed at the face Heero made and put in that Trowa was probably making his way to the dorms. Determined to find Trowa, Quatre set out down the hall.

It was near dinner time when the trio finally decided that where ever the green eyed boy had spirited himself away to, he did not want to be found. Crestfallen, Quatre suggested that they go to dinner instead. Duo's stomach seconded the motion and Heero only nodded his head.

Duo had started to understand Heero's system of nods, grunts, and glares. A nod meant that he agreed with you, and was willing to admit it. A grunt meant that he was upset or irritated about something that had been said or happened and is usually followed by him walking away. The brunette only experienced the other's glares when he insisted on pulling him back during the basketball game, but those glares didn't seem as frightening as Quatre said they could be.

Duo choose not to load up on food as much as he had the last time because it was so close to lights out. They sat at the same table as before and Duo grinned when he saw familiar, ebony hair walking in the opposite direction. Without thinking, he called out to the withdrawing figure.

"Hey Wufei!" the brunette shouted across the dining room. "Over here!"

Wufei turned towards the ruckus. When he saw the brunette from his earlier class yelling and waving at him, he balked. The dark haired boy was going just ignore the other on the other side of the room, but it was difficult to insist that you didn't know the rowdy boy screaming _your name_. Wufei sighed. Quatre's apologetic smile was enough to draw the Chinese adolescent to the table. He sighed again after easing himself down in the seat next to the blond.

"Hello Wufei," Quatre greeted, respecting the other's wish to be referred to by his family name. "It's good to see you."

"Likewise," was all Wufei said, trying not to focus on the stares he could feel hitting the back of his head. The students had nothing better to do than look for more ammunition for their gossiping. Heero murmured a greeting.

"Thanks again for your help back there," Duo said again, grinning broadly at the other. "You were a real life saver."

Wufei nodded his response and said nothing else as he quietly started on his food.

Relena Darlian chewed at her thumb nail in concentration, watching the four boys at the table quite a ways away from her. First Quatre, and then the new boys, and now Wufei had sneak his way into Heero's good graces. The taller one wasn't with them this time, but that did nothing to comfort her. She could tell that only Quatre held any interest and getting to know him.

She could feel the nail cracking under her assault, but she paid it no mind. There was a nagging feeling in the back of her mind. Was she _jealous _of them? No, that couldn't be it. She was Relena Darlian; people were supposed to be jealous of _her. _

The nail snapped and Relena threw her napkin over her plate in frustration.

"Is everything okay, Miss Relena?" Dorothy Catalonia asked from her seat next to the former princess. "You seemed troubled by something."

Relena looked over to her friend, the distressed look still clear in her plum eyes. She sighed and slumped slightly in her seat.

"It's nothing," the princess said softly. That was a lie, of course. The girl could do little to nothing to stop the swell of jealously and anger in the pit of her stomach. She wanted nothing more to sit at that table, next to Heero, and be the one he spent a good amount of his time with.

Relena dared to glance back at the table and saw the blond and the long haired brunette laughing, Wufei looking slightly amused and Heero-

It was hard to be certain from where she was sitting, but Relena swore she could make out a small hint of a smile tugging on the silent boy's mouth. Her delicate brows creased as she watched the boys interact. She wasn't sure when, but the tallest in the group had finally joined them. The blond's attention was focused on the new arrival, smiling brightly as he offered him a seat. Duo turned his focus on Heero, chatting him up enthusiastically.

Dorothy watched Relena carefully the entire time. A long forked eyebrow arched with obvious interest in the situation before her. Dorothy was the granddaughter of Duke Dermail, whose son passed away fighting in the war. Unlike most children who lost family in the war, Dorothy was attracted to the appeal of battle. She found the human will to fight and the glorious explosions of battle to be beautiful, like watching an elegant dance.

The look she saw in Relena's eyes was welcoming to her. Dorothy knew that her friend rejected fighting with every fiber of her being, but the platinum blond _also_ knew that it was hard to resist one's natural instincts. With a little coaching and pushing from herself, Dorothy was sure she could get Relena to admit to what she was feeling.

Dorothy smiled wickedly as she tilted her nose up a bit towards the ceiling. She sniffed.

The scent of war was in the air.

"This is the final part of the tour," Quatre said, standing before a large oak door. He pushed it open slowly, revealing a long corridor. "This is the boy's dormitory. The girl's is on the other side of the school, but I don't think that's very important."

Duo laughed, immediately picturing students in the dorms trying to sneak off into the opposite sex's wing. He couldn't imagine something so questionable like that occurring at St. Gabriel.

"Thanks for all the help today, Quatre," Duo said. He yawned loudly. "But I think we can handle it from here."

The blond nodded and patted the brunette on the shoulder.

"Good night Duo. Good night Trowa. Heero," the Arabian nodded to each as he spoke softly, not wanting to wake any students that may already be sleeping. The cheerful blind smiled to each of his friends one more time before disappearing behind a marked door.

Trowa slipped away silently after the blond, seeking out his own room so he could rest, leaving Heero and Duo standing awkwardly together in the hallway.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Duo asked, breaking the stifling silence.

Heero grunted faintly, heading down the hall and to the left to where his own room was presumably. Duo shook his head with a chuckle. He guessed it was too much to expect the stern boy to open up his arms to him so suddenly. The American let out a loud sigh and moved to locate his room. It took more time than he thought it would, but after a few minutes of searching, he found the door marked: MAXWELL.

Duo couldn't contain the oddly giddy feeling of seeing his name on a plaque attached to the door. He propelled the door open with a gentle push and stared, mouth agape, at the room before him. The floor was covered with wall-to-wall carpeting. Maroon colored curtains brushed against the floor. There was a large, queen-sized bed centered against the wall to the left. The pillows were pristine white and fluffed to perfection.

The brunette peeled his uniform away from his body and slid gratefully under the cool sheets. Duo sighed as he settled against the softness of the mattress underneath him. It was comfortable, but not _comforting. _He was accustomed to laying against hard, cold floors, or the slightly lumping mattresses of the church. He felt out of place in the room that was meant to be his. Duo wasn't made to be wrapped in the coziness of luxury. He was used to roughing it.

With another sigh, he turned restlessly beneath the covers. His mind traveled back to L2, to his old home, the streets and to Father Maxwell. Duo leaned his head back against the downy pillow, allowing his tired lids to slide over his eyes.

_This is going to take some getting used to…_

**つづく**

**Author's remarks: **Thank you so much for the reviews/alerts/support for Horoscope's prologue! It has been awhile since I wrote fanfiction, so I'm glad everything was received rather well. I wanted to make chapter one longer than the prologue and I met and succeeded my goal of 7,000 words!It doesn't look nearly as long as it did in Word, but I'm happy I was able to reach my goal by my self-set deadline with minimal issues. What do you, the readers, think about the length? Is it too long? Too short(!)? Or just right? Let me know!

Also, please make sure to visit my profile! I have a poll in place to help determine my next ventures in writing. I won't necessarily pick the most popular choices, but go by whatever reactions give me motivation. I've already began plotting a few other fics, and Horoscope is currently all mapped out, with new chapters being added everyday. I will continue to do my best to update, but today is my first day back at college, so we will see.

Enjoy your week!


	3. Chapter 2: Brotherhood

**HOROSCOPE **

Chapter Two: Brotherhood

Duo awoke rather ungracefully the next morning. His limbs were tangled in the sheets and stiff from being incapable of movement for so long. The brunette always kept his hair bound while he slept to minimize the hassle of grooming it in the morning. However, the tie had somehow managed to become undone during the night, leaving the long tresses horribly snarled and knotted. The American grumbled and sat up. He jumped a bit when his vision cleared, not immediately recognizing his surroundings.

Then remembered he wasn't on L2 anymore.

He relaxed and let out a loud huff of air and threw his arms down on the puffy comforter in front of him. Another day of lectures and classes--well, his first _full_ day. Surviving an hour or so of algebra would have been torture without Wufei. The sleepy brunette didn't want to think of how he would fair in his other classes without him.

Duo's attention was grabbed by a timid rap on the door.

"Duo?" An equally timid voice called out. "Duo are you awake?" He blinked for a few seconds, his sleep-clouded mind slowly processing the sounds.

_I know that voice!_

---

Quatre stood outside the oak door, staring at it almost impatiently as he waited for any sign of life from the other side. The Winner heir decided to escort his new friend from the dormitory this morning, fearing that the long-haired brunette would get lost in the vast halls. He was also concerned that the other wouldn't be used to waking up so early in the morning and would miss his classes.

Quatre Raberba Winner would not allow him to suffer like that---not on _his_ watch.

The blond flinched when he heard the distinctive sound of something heavy suddenly colliding against the floor. There was a muffled curse before the door flew open at last, revealing a very disheveled looking Duo.

"Hey Quatre!" Duo greeted sleepily, throwing the blond a very lop-sided grin. "What'cha doin' here so early?"

Quatre couldn't help the tiny giggle that escaped after listening to Duo's sleep-induced slur.

"I wanted to make sure you made it to your first class okay," the blond supplied, still smiling at the other's foggy gaze. The brunette abruptly shook his head sharply and rapidly blinked his eyes, effectively clearing his vision.

"Right! School!" Duo practically shouted when he recalled he had been thinking about his classes before he, in his haste to reach the door, unceremoniously, and accidentally, threw himself off of the bed and knocked the thoughts out of his head. "I'm ready. S' let's go!" He made to walk out the door, but was halted by Quatre holding out his hand in a gesture to stop.

"Duo," the blond giggled again. "I don't think the instructors would appreciate you attending their lessons in your _underwear_."

Duo's cheeks flushed beet-red when he peered down and noticed that he, indeed, was still wearing the boxers and tank top that he'd went to bed in. He positioned his hands over his underwear in a vain attempt shield himself before hastily slamming the door in Quatre's face. Quatre shook his head and chuckled at the other's antics, waiting for him to finish dressing and return.

Duo reappeared a few minutes later. His hair was no longer a bird's nest and was neatly braided, but his uniform was a bit wrinkled from yesterday. The brunette offered the blond another silly grin.

"Okay, _now _I'm ready."

---

After Quatre had finally stopped laughing over the incident in the dormitory, the blond took Duo's time table and offered to help him find his classes. To both of their delight, they shared the first class together: Art. Duo initially grumbled about not being able to draw a straight line, let alone create _art._

"That's okay," Quatre assured, leading them down the halls that were bustling with other students. A few of their stares lingered on the pair before returning to what they had previously been focused on. Duo didn't seem to notice. "The instructor is amazing. He explains everything perfectly, but leaves enough leeway in the method for our own personal styles."

"I wish the math teacher was like that," Duo mumbled to Quatre's amusement. "I'd be able to get every problem right that way."

Quatre giggled.

"I think it's because he used to be the fencing instructor. Styles in swordsmanship is very important," the blond elaborated. "But he decided last year that he would rather 'wield a brush and splatter paint, than wield a sword and splatter blood.'"

Duo nodded. The statement was quite noble, especially coming from a school teacher. The brunette still imagined the instructor to be someone small and reserved, as artists stereotypically were. Possibly a fan of poetry if what Quatre quoted had originated from them.

Within moments, the two were faced with the door. Quatre pushed it for the other, like he did before, and allowed the brunette to walk in first.

The art room was a great contrast to the math room. The walls were white, like the other, but were splashed with various bright colors of different hues and shades. Instead of risers, there were a series of round and rectangle shaped tables, offering ample space for the students to work and socialize at the same time. Different works, most likely student produced, were hung on the walls and taped to the doors of the supply cabinet.

Duo's mood instantly lifted from where thinking of his first school experience left him. His grin widened as he looked around the classroom. It wasn't stuffy or cold. It had _personality._ Duo sighed happily as he could feel his previous sense of trepidation melting from his body.

Quatre followed the other as he wandered around the room in exploration. The American would stop periodically and carefully study a piece he found on the wall. He was amused when he found a picture made by Heero posted by a window. All the colors were dark, of course, and stood out among all of the mostly colorful creations in the vicinity. To his surprise, he noted that several of the paintings in the room belonged to Wufei. Quatre explained that Wufei was in the same class last year.

"Where do we sit?" The brunette asked after he was done strolling through the room. He looked at the tables that were already being occupied by students. There were still quite a few minutes before the lesson began, so many tables held vacancies.

"Oh anywhere's fine," Quatre answered, walking forward. "I usually like to sit closer to a window. It's nice to look outside while you're working."

Duo nodded and took a seat at a rounded table near a window. He peered outside at the campus below. His violet eyes squinted as he tried to make out all the tiny specks moving below him. Okay, they weren't _that _small, but it was difficult to discern one student from another. The only advantage to this method of 'people watching' was that it was easy to tell which uniform belonged to a boy and which belonged to a girl. Duo blinked in confusion when one uniform, a blue one for boys, stopped and gazed back up at the window, seemingly looking at him.

The brunette was about to try to get a better look before the sound of a door swinging open and slamming shut, made him jump. Duo turned toward the noise just in time to see a tall man walk over to the desk and set down a stack of papers. The man's hair was light brown and slicked backed, one stray piece of hair brushing over his forehead in defiance. His thin brows were forked similar to Dorothy, but not as frighteningly defined as the latter. His eyes were soft and baby blue. Surprisingly, the eyes gave off a warm gaze despite their icy color.

The man cleared his throat, signaling the students to settle down for the lesson to begin. He looked around the room with a smile. His eyes met Duo's briefly before fixing back on the rest of the class. The man offered a good morning to his students, and nodded in approval when his gesture was met with an equally mirthful echo. He turned to the board behind him and picked up a white piece of chalk, quickly, but neatly, scrawling something in fine cursive across the board.

Duo quickly turned back to the window, raking his eyes over the expanse of the campus in hopes of a glimpse of whoever had caught him staring. To his disappointment, the area was completely clear of all the students who has been moving about before. The brunette sighed and returned his attention to the man who walked in. He noticed something had been written on the board.

_Treize Khushrenada._

"I see we have a new face today so I feel the need that an introduction is necessary," Mr. Khushrenada elaborated as he set the chalk down. He looked down at the papers he placed on his desk prior. "Mr. Maxwell, is it? It's a pleasure to have to with us."

Duo nodded his head dumbly. He wasn't expecting someone like Mr. Khushrenada to be an art teacher. The man had the air like an aristocrat more than anything else. Suddenly, he could see how something so profound as 'splatter paint, not blood' had originated from this man. Just his presence itself radiated power and respect. Seeing him standing before the class as a teacher was almost---intimidating.

_Why isn't this man in the military!? _Duo thought. _The war would be over by now!_

As Quatre had said, however, the class was fun. Mr. Khushrenada only spent a few minutes explaining the basics of the art techniques before having the students dive right into painting. He set out an assortment of water colors, oil pants and pastels. Mr. Khushrenada floated about the classroom, peering over shoulders and offering words of praise and advice. _Art is not a time of working, but a time of creating, _was a written message he left posted to remind his students as they progressed in their creations. He never said that a skill was executed incorrectly, but that it had an interesting interpretation.

"Art is not defined by simply following a set of rules," Mr. Khushrenada said and he continued his rounds. "If that were the case, everything with rules would be considered art and then art as we know it now would no longer exist. Art is free and limitless and is not something to be restricted."

By the end of the class, Duo had managed to sketch out….._something_ on his canvas and was prepared to start painting on the next class. He had whined when he saw Quatre and the other students beginning to clean up the supplies. His outlook for the remainder of the day was looking bleak after having such a great experience. Angry nuns and textbooks did not sound very appealing.

"I'm afraid that's all for today," Mr. Khushrenada announced once all the materials had been replaced on his table. "When you return for the next class, there will be a student teacher joining us."

The students began to file out, some whispering excitedly about what the new teacher would be like. Duo, however, was uninterested. It was unlikely that the budding instructor would be as liberal as Mr. Khushrenada.

"Well, this is where we part ways," the blond announced sadly. "You have fencing lessons next. I can take you there if you want."

Duo promptly declined the blond's offer, waving his hand with a smile. The brunette insisted that he could find the way on his own.

"I don't want you to have to lead me by the hand all day."

Quatre brushed the idea off as nonsense, explaining that he enjoyed helping his friend. But Duo wasn't budging on the matter, so the blue-eyed blond had to settle for giving the other insanely specific directions of how to get to the gym.

Needless to say, if Duo managed to get lost, it would be no one's fault but his own.

---

Heero stood in front of his locker in the changing room. He removed his fencing clothes from the shelf before setting it on the bench next to him and starting to change. His body was on auto-pilot as he mind wandered slowly from the task at hand. The brunette wondered how his life had changed so drastically in the span of less than a day.

He was being awfully friendly. Well, he wouldn't call it _friendliness_, but he was a lot more accepting of behavior that normally would have had him pulling his hair out in frustration. The cobalt-eyed boy immediately thought of Duo. The way they had interacted during the basketball game was not how Heero would usually conduct himself. He couldn't explain it, but the violet-eyed boy stirred strange feelings in himself.

Heero shook his head harshly when he realized how perverse that would have sounded if he said it aloud.

It was close to what he felt with Quatre. The only thing that made it different was that the blond was passively pushy, while Duo chose to stand by an 'in your face' approach. Heero scoffed at himself when he realized 'passively pushy' did not make any sense. In a way, he supposed it wasn't _hurting_ anything by having Duo and Trowa around. Trowa especially only because he was so quiet and attracted most of Quatre's attention.

Heero was suddenly pulled from his musings when Duo came bouncing into the changing room. His arms were laden with fencing gear and equipment, his eyes just barely peeping over the top of the heap. Duo stopped when his knee bumped into the corner of the bench. Carefully, he peeked around the side of the pile and was momentarily surprised to see the other boy glowering at him.

"Hey Heero!" Duo chirped happily, subsequently releasing his armful of goods. Both boys winced as the expensive pieces hit the ground with a loud clatter. Heero's frown deepened at the other when he smiled sheepishly and shrugged, emitting a soft 'whoops'.

"Duo," Heero started, looking down at the mess the other caused. Violet eyes looked up. "Do you even know _how_ to fence?"

"Nope," Duo said proudly with his chin up and his hands on his hips. "But that's what these classes they make us go to are for, right? It'll just give me something else to beat you at!"

"And what exactly did you 'beat me at' in the first place? As I recall, _I_ won the basketball game yesterday," Heero argued, continuing to keep his face neutral.

"Details, details," the brunette replied, waving a hand dismissively. "You cheated anyway."

Heero made a low growling sound in irritation. Ignoring the flaw with Duo's logic that _he_ had been the one who cheated. Heero was amused by the American's attitude towards the entire situation. _That_ was what made him irritated. He wasn't used to having so many people around him. Albeit four wasn't a big number, but in regards to friends, it was to Heero. Heero had no desire for friends, but he should have expected it once Quatre became a leading part in his life. Quatre was so kind and happy and like a damned magnet that could attract so many people seemingly effortlessly. Although, Heero almost prided himself at being the Winner heir's first challenge.

Another loud crash courtesy of Duo, once again disrupted Heero's thoughts. Cobalt eyes blinked slowly as he watched the brunette struggle to put the jump suit on. Duo had gotten his legs into the material, but was having issues pulling it the rest of the way up. It was impossible for the other to zip up the suit himself. Heero blinked again before laughing.

"Good luck getting that on."

Duo's head shot up, fully intent on glaring at the Japanese adolescent, but he was gone. The long hair boy grumbled, kicking his helmet that he had dropped again.

_Oh, so he wants to play games, huh?_

---

Quatre shook his head as he watched Duo run off towards the gymnasium. He had a feeling the other would still get lost no matter what, but he was glad Duo felt comfortable enough to wander on his own. The blond's brows wrinkled in thought. He wondered. _Did_ Duo notice how the other students looked at him? At Trowa? The contempt was obvious to the Arabian. Quatre didn't encounter such ill-feelings before, but he had witnessed the same when Heero first appeared.

Children could be cruel for no reasons other than their own amusement. Most children who came from well-off families were raised around disdain for the underprivileged, despite not having any excuse for why. Quatre frowned at the idea of Duo or Trowa having to face the reality of their presence at the school. By most, they weren't wanted and considered a blemish on the academy. It was unlikely that anyone would say something to either personally, but actions often spoke louder than words.

"Why hello, Mr. Quatre Raberba Winner," an eerie voice whispered from behind him.

The Arabian jumped, not hearing the foot falls at had been following after him. He spun around quickly to face whoever had snuck up on him. Quatre wasn't shocked to see the equally blue eyes of Dorothy Catalonia gazing back at him.

Quatre was raised to be a respectful and proper young man. He was never rude or intentionally hurtful. He used appropriate grammar and titles when addressing his seniors and ladies. He always looked someone in the eye when speaking or being spoken to. He had all of these skills and manners drilled into his head by his father from the moment he could _crawl_. The blue-eyed adolescent was faintly aware of the goose bumps forming under his sleeves.

Quatre shivered involuntarily and forced his eyes away from the girl in front of him. His years of etiquette training did little to help him when he was _afraid_ of the person. Well, he wasn't exactly 'afraid' of her. She just made him nervous. Along with good behavior, Quatre's father also stressed the belief of peace and pacifism. Dorothy was known for her unusual love and obsession for war and general conflict, and that concerned Quatre.

"H-hello, Miss Dorothy," the blond stammered. It was curious to see her without Relena and even _more _curious to see her with Quatre. "What can I do for you?"

Dorothy giggled behind her hand.

"Oh nothing," she replied, smiling as he leaned forward. "I just saw you walking all alone and thought maybe you would like a bit of company."

"How thoughtful…" Quatre swallowed nervously. He looked around, hoping to see Relena appear magically to whisk the other blond girl away. "But I was just on my way to class."

"As was I. Such a small world," Dorothy giggled again. She looked expectantly at the other. Quatre suppressed a sigh as he continued his walk down the hall from where it had been disturbed. He kept his face as schooled as he could, trying not to look as distressed as he felt.

There could be any number of reasons why Dorothy chose to seek out Quatre, none of which were good, most likely. Quatre wouldn't judge. He was taught better than that. He would walk with Dorothy until they made it to either his or her class and then that would be the end of it.

"I've noticed that you and Mr. Heero Yuy have taken the new students under your wings," she commented conversationally. "That is so very like you. So kind and generous."

"N-no not really."

He discreetly searched the hall, still holding out hope that Relena was flitting around somewhere nearby. To his surprise, he saw the familiar lithe form of Trowa making his way towards them. Quatre practically jumped for joy when the taller boy spotted him and walked over, eyeing the girl by his side wearily. His knight and shining armor!

"T-Trowa!" the blond greeted happily. "What are you doing here?"

The taller boy shrugged his shoulders and gestured behind himself with a tilt of his head. Standing quite a few paces from the brunette was none other than Wufei. Wufei stood near stiffly near the end of the hallway, his arms folded tightly over his chest. He fixed his gaze on Dorothy and watched her carefully.

"We were looking for you," the Chinese boy answered. He uncrossed his arms and walked forward. He gestured towards the European. "Well, he was. I just happened to bump into him."

Quatre nodded, easily accepting the answer if it meant he wouldn't have to continue to be alone with Dorothy. He hadn't realized how long he had been thinking before the Duke's granddaughter interrupted him. The blond smile softly when he realized that Wufei had said the other was looking for him. He didn't know why, but it made him feel happy.

"You were late for class," Trowa finally said, somewhat smashing Quatre's hope that he had been looking for him just for the sake of seeing him. It was too much too soon, he supposed.

"Oh!" the Arabian blushed. "I'm sorry for the trouble."

The walk was almost painfully slow for the Arabian, but having Trowa with him made it somewhat easier. Wufei had left shortly after delivering the brunette to the Winner heir, stating he had his own class to tend to. After a few minutes, the trio arrived at his next classroom door. The blond celebrated internally. He quickly apologized for not being able to escort her to her own class, but Dorothy brushed it off, saying she enjoyed the experience. With that said, she waved once to both boys and set off down the hall in the same direction they had just came from. Quatre watched her go, a thought look firm on his face.

Trouble always rode on her coat tails.

---

Fencing with Duo had proved interesting.

Duo was less experienced with the sophisticated sport than he was with basketball, but he was quick to learn the basics. It took a few tries, but the brunette was able to parry and block almost as well as the rest of the students. He had no really technique or style other than overwhelming his opponent by maneuvering quickly into their proximity, leaving no room for them to retaliate. It was a shaking strategy, but it worked against the less advance students for the most part.

The instructor had the students pair off and rotated them every ten minutes. The matches rarely lasted longer than that because of the level of the students. One by one the students faced each other. Some faired better than others, but most did not have a consistent winning streak.

Heero was the exception.

The Japanese boy was obviously more advance than the rest of the class. One by one, he flew threw the students. He didn't overwhelm them hastily as Duo had, but took his time and noted their movements. Once he knew their flow, he struck them down. It was fairly easy, considering before Odin became drafted in the war he had Heero take fencing and other combat lessons on L1.

"You never know when I won't be here and you'll have to take care of yourself."

The whistle blew, indicating it was time for the pairs to swap out. Heero turned and his brows knitted reflexively as he stared at the long-haired brunette approaching him from the other side of the room. A frown soon accompanied when he saw the cocky grin and sauntering steps the American made as he drew closer to his next opponent.

_He thinks he's going to win,_ Heero thought with a hint of amusement.

Despite being involved in his own matches, Heero was able to observe Duo's behavior. He figured out the violet-eyed boys unreliable method of overpowering his opponent before they could make of move. That was his disadvantage. Unlike Heero, Duo's rash actions robbed him of the opportunity to know his challenger.

"Ready to lose, Heero?" Duo asked confidently, swinging the fencing foil in his hand absently. He tilted his chin up slightly to give the other a challenging look. Despite the signals, it was obvious that Duo's intent was harmless.

_Friendly._

"Don't kid yourself," Heero responded. He shifted his body into an opening stance and positioned his sword in front of him. "This isn't basketball."

Duo gave the other a knowing grin as the whistled sounded.

Heero was the first to move, easily knocking the light weight sword away from the other's face. He quickly lunged while the American was off balance and made to strike at him. Duo hastily responded, barely managing to block the thrust aimed for his middle.

Their match progressed similarly for a few minutes. Heero aggressively moving forward, giving the other no other leeway but a quick block or dodge. Duo's technique was only effective if he was able to make the starting move. Without the boost, he was left at the mercy of Heero's assault.

In one short swoop, Heero knocked the foil out of the other brunette's hand and pointed his own straight at the tip of his nose. Duo's mask scraped against it lightly as he let out a breath before smiling at the victor.

The whistle blew.

"That's two for two."

---

"I was thinking. How would you guys like to spend the weekend liberty at my house this weekend?"

The newly formed group was seated in their usual spot in the cafeteria, amidst another pile of food courtesy of Duo. Quatre and Trowa arrived first as their class was the closest one to the dining hall. Heero arrived minutes later, shortly followed by Duo who was practically dragging a disgruntled Wufei in tow. When the long haired boy heard the blond's invitation, he was practically beaming.

"That sounds awesome!" Duo shouted, having finally released the dark haired boy once they sat down. "I've been dying to get out of here and stretch my legs a bit."

"You've been here less than _two days_," Wufei grumbled, causing the Arabian to laugh.

"Yeah, but I'm not used to being steered around indoors like this," Duo replied. He nibbled at the end of his fork. "A few days away sounds like a _vacation_."

Trowa nodded his head quietly in agreement. Quatre wasn't sure if the olive-eyed boy shared the same sentiments as Duo, but he was pleased that the other didn't oppose the idea. Wufei agreed, saying that he was mostly free during the liberty.

Heero was poised to decline, but a few factors halted his decision. The first and most obvious being that Quatre would never allow him to refuse an invitation to visit him. He had attempted to when the blond invited him to visit previously before they knew each other very well, but the word 'no', didn't seem to be a word the young heir understood. Unless he was the one wielding it, of course.

The second reason, was much stranger than the latter. Curiosity. He wanted to see how Duo would behave and be received in the environment of Quatre's home. Heero was certain he was the only friend the Arabian ever brought home, and his disposition was worlds apart from the bubbling American.

But there was more.

Unlike someone like Relena constantly pushing their way into his space, Duo was a surprisingly welcome change. It wasn't like he was expecting anything from Heero or trying to get something from him. He genuinely wanted to be around the other for reasons, frankly, Heero could not understand. He had not been as welcoming as Quatre had when they first met in the hall, and he certainly wasn't being entirely friendly now. Yet the stoic boy could not deny that he was starting to feel some odd sort of connection with the other.

"I'll go," Heero conceded.

Trowa and Wufei showed no signs of hearing the other besides a nod from the latter. Quatre and Duo's faces lit up almost simultaneously.

"What exactly would this visit entail?" Wufei asked. He had never been to the Winner home previously and therefore, had no idea what to expect. Would they simply hang around the house all weekend or would they go out?

"Well I was thinking that we could go to the new indoor amusement park that just opened up and maybe the aquarium too," Quatre began. "If that's okay with everyone." He quickly added.

"Anything's okay with me!" Duo replied excitedly. He never went to anything like a theme park before.

Trowa agreed. He was curious about what the experience would be like. Heero wasn't exactly keen on the mindless fun of a park, but he shrugged. It was better than staying in the dormitory all weekend doing nothing. And if he stayed, there was a chance he would be swept up by Relena.

"Great!" Quatre exclaimed, clapping his hands together happily. "I'll call my father immediately and let him know that we're having guests. It shouldn't be a problem."

---

The rest of the day did not pass quickly enough for Duo. Math was excruciatingly painful with the promise of Quatre's house taunting him just out of reach. Wufei's patient guidance did little to speed the impossibly slow ticking of the clock.

He was anxious to get through the remaining classes, but was also nervous of the reception he would receive at the Winner home. Would he be welcomed like Wufei would be? Or would he be looked down upon? Or worse: _pitied. _There was nothing that hit the brunette harder than someone feeling sorry for him. Duo was by no means ashamed of where he came from, but he didn't particularly like the idea of the family of one of his only friends not liking him or treating him differently.

When the final class block was over, Duo practically raced to his room then to the gates of the school where he was told to meet the others. He wasn't surprised that he was the first one to arrive. Eventually, and more calmly, the others trickled in, save for Quatre.

"Quatre went ahead," Heero informed the others when they started looking around for the blond. "He said he wanted to be sure everything was 'perfect'. He's sending a car for us."

The information was quickly accepted and they settled into silence as they waited for said car. Duo took the chance to look around at the others' choice of casual wear. Trowa was wearing the same military-style jacket and trousers he had been wearing the first day. Seeing as they didn't have any alternate clothes save their uniforms, Duo was in the same boat of wearing his stiff black priest-collared shirt and dark pants.

Wufei was dressed the most interestingly with traditional white Chinese pants with a matching over shirt and flat black shoes. Heero choose to keep things more simple with a pair of light colored jeans and a green tank under a jacket. Duo had never seen in the other in anything other than the academy's uniform. The American could say confidently that the almond-eyed boy definitely looked more natural and comfortable in his country's attire. It suited him.

Duo could feel the restlessness stirring in him, but thankfully the car didn't take long to arrive. If 'car' was the proper term for the vehicle that approached the gate. At first the brunette didn't think that could _possibly _be what Quatre sent for them, but when he saw Heero and Wufei walk towards it, he felt his jaw nearly hit the ground.

The 'car' that Quatre had arranged to retrieve them for their break was actually a sleek black limousine. The paint was flawless with an unbelievably bright luster. The windows were tinted a dark shade, making it impossible to see inside. It had to have been a few months old at the least , but save from the gravel and dirt stuck in grooves of the tires, the limousine appeared to be brand new.

A uniformed man stepped out from the drivers seat and walked around to the other side and tipped his hat to the boys.

"Hello, Sirs." In one fluid motion he bowed and pulled open the back door. He used a gloved hand to gesture them to step inside. "Master Quatre has instructed me to ensure that you arrive at his estate efficiently and safely."

The driver stowed their travel duffels securely in the trunk, before returning to his seat and pulling off.

_Estate?_ Duo thought as he leaned back against the soft leather seats. _Just how rich __**is**__ Quatre's family?_

_---_

Quatre only lived a short distance from the school. The ride itself took less than half an hour. Although, the stops at the two gates for security checks did slow down the process a bit. When they arrived, the driver opened the door for the boys and directed their attention to yet another gate. This one was not as tall as the other gates with a large silver 'W' sitting in the middle. The driver went up to the intercom next to the impressive gate and pressed the button.

"Master Quatre's company has arrived."

The gates buzzed loudly as they opened, allowing the boys full-view of the Winner home.

Well, _mansion._

The large white building was the same, if not a larger size than the academy. There was a large marble fountain in the middle surrounded by miscellaneous shrubbery and flowers. Another marble structure led to the large doors from both sides. The path was narrow, making it impossible for a car to pass. With the go ahead from the driver, the four boys walked the path to the mansion. Duo was about to ring the bell when the door swung open.

The brunette didn't have time to think before he saw a large blur leap towards him and the next thing he knew, he was on the ground. Duo lifted his arms to shield his face and was confused as to why whatever had attacked him was now _dripping_ on him.

"Sandrock, no!" called Quatre's voice from a bit further away inside the house. The blond appeared immediately at Duo's side and struggled to pull off the heavy weight from the other.

Duo thought he heard Heero chuckle.

When Quatre had finally removed the weight from Duo, the American didn't hesitate to jump up and furiously started wiping and rubbing his wet arms against his pant legs. Duo looked up to scold his assailant and blinked in surprised. Quatre had his hands wrapped firmly on the thick leather collar that was worn by a German Sheppard. The large beast seemed to be smiling at him with his tongue hanging out as he panted happily. His _dripping _tongue.

"I'm sorry about him," Quatre apologized. He tugged the dog back when he sniffed at Wufei and became interested in jumping on him next. "Sandrock likes meeting new people and gets a little excited."

Sandrock barked loudly in confirmation, still trying to get at the Chinese boy who wisely moved away from the dog.

"Jeez, why didn't he go for Heero or something?" Duo mumbled in irritation when he couldn't get the sticky canine saliva off.

"We've met," Heero responded casually.

Quatre managed to push the big animal back across the threshold of the entryway. Sandrock still lingered around the door, keen on becoming more familiar with his master's guests. Quatre propped the door open with his foot.

"Well, come in everyone," Quatre smiled as his friends nodded and stepped into his home.

Quatre's modest blue and white sweater and light jeans were deceptive. Despite the blond's casual street wear, the inside of the mansion was fantastically decorated. Everything was neat and clean and everything had its place. The foyer was brightly lit with multiple lighting fixtures, including one crystal chandilier hanging centered from the ceiling.

"Wow…" Duo breathed, taking in the décor. He scratched Sandrock behind the ear when the dog rubbed up against his leg. "Nice digs you've got here, Quatre." Trowa nodded in agreement.

Quatre thanked the other for the compliment. Suddenly, he seemed to notice what Duo and Trowa were wearing. An unknown glint appeared in his blue eyes. Trowa became nervous.

"Is that the only thing you have to wear?" the blond asked. It wasn't a superficial question.

The two nodded. The school system had only provided them with three uniform sets to wear. They weren't expected to spend much time off the campus grounds, and therefore, alternative wear was not prepared.

"That won't do at all," the blond decided. "I'll ask Rashid to take us shopping before dinner."

As if on cue, a tall, dark-skinned man stepped into the foyer. He towered over the petite blond as he stood over him. Duo 'eeped' softly. His attire was noticeably Arabic including his stern features. Brown eyes narrowed as he stared down at the group of boys. He placed a large hand on Quatre's shoulder.

"Shall we go now?"

---

Shopping was an interesting ordeal. Quatre insisted the two picked out at least five complete outfits to have whenever they were away from school and a new pair of shoes. He gave his input on some of the choices and fussed when the two instinctively went for the cheapest thing.

"Get what you _want_," Quatre insisted as he shooed Duo and Trowa back into their respective dressing rooms. Wufei and Heero only watched, not at all wanting to participate in the small spectacle that was growing.

After only an hour of Quatre-fueled shopping, Heero and Wufei somehow found their arms full of the brunettes' new clothes. With a satisfied smile, the Winner heir decided that they had purchased enough.

When they returned to the Winner estate, the five teens were immediately intercepted by three girls squealing and rushing at them. Heero quickly backed away from their line of fire. It was obvious that he had already been sucked into this situation before. Quatre smiled nervously as he watched his older sisters poke and prod at his friends.

Sandrock reappeared, summoned by he girls' screams. He jumped around the circle of bodies. He barked excitedly, hoping to be given some of the attention. His pressed his nose against hands and between bodies, barking louder.

"Oh my god, they're so _cute_!"

"Quatre, you always find the cutest friends!"

"What is this!?" Wufei shouted. He was blushing furiously as one of the girls was unconsciously pressing her chest into his face. He tried vainly to push the girls away from him and could see Duo in his peripheral vision attempting to do the same. His feet hit the parcels that he'd dropped once the assault had engaged.

"Girls, I think that's enough."

Immediately the squealing and the squeezing stopped and the girls retreated. Sandrock's ears fell and he trotted to hide behind Quatre. Behind them stood their father, Fyra Winner. His face was stern. His mouth was drawn in a tight line hidden slightly beneath his moustache.

Duo blinked. The man before them could only be Quatre's father, considering how easily he had stopped the 'Attack of the Girls'. It was hard to see any family resemblance between father and son. With Mr. Winner's dark hair and eyes, and Quatre's distinctly Aryan features, the brunette concluded he must take after his mother.

Duo snorted. It was easy to imagine that Trowa would be the spitting image of Fyra Winner in thirty years.

An elderly man in a suit appeared. His aura and stance screamed stereotypical help. As expected, he opened his mouth and a heavy British accent drawled out.

"Dinner, is served."

---

Over dinner, the girls who ambushed them at the door were introduced as Quatre's older sisters Anja, Tess and Gracia. A fourth, and immensely calmer one, Iria appeared a few minutes into the meal. Duo was beyond shocked to find out the four at the table were only a small representation of Quatre's twenty-nine older sisters. He didn't understand how anyone could _have_ so many kids at once. But then, he noticed a lack of another parent at the table and decided it was a subject that need no further dwelling.

Once again, Heero found his attention had drifted over to Duo, who was sitting across from him at the table. The American's earlier anxiety of meeting the illustrious Winner family had melted away. He engaged Tess and Anja, who he noted to be twins, in light-hearted conversation. His personality seemed to thrive on these types of social situations. Heero decided that the other would most likely go insane if he were ever caught in a circumstance that didn't allow talking.

Trowa opened up a bit more. The relaxed air around the table seemed to ease all the building stress forming in his body that tightened his shoulders. Quatre directed most of his conversation to him. The tall brunette even gained a faint tint in his cheek when Quatre's eldest sister, Iria, offhandedly mentioned the uncanny resemblance between Trowa and their father.

Wufei laughed.

As the evening winded down, Mr. Winner excused himself from the table, followed shortly by Iria and Gracia. The boys discussed everything and nothing until finally, yawns spread contagiously around the table.

"We should get to bed," Quatre said around a yawn.

There was a consensus in the form of nods and grunts as everyone rose from the table and followed the blond's lead out into the next room. They trudged up the winding spiral staircase and into a spare room arranged specifically for their stay.

Duo immediately threw himself on the closest bed, not even bothering to shed his stifling priest's collar. The other's followed suit, but went about their own routines of preparing themselves for sleep. After a few moments, the room was filled with soft snores.

_---_

**つづく**

---

**Author's Remarks: **Terribly sorry for the delay! Between being sick, all that _snow_, work, and catching up with school, I didn't have much time for writing. Also, this chapter wasn't particularly interesting for me to write, so it was a bit slow goings. The title took most of the time to sort out, since _Friendship _would've have sounded.....queer. But now it didn't come from Fullmetal Alchemist! It's a thesaurus! However, the liberty trip that was supposed to be in this chapter will have to be pushed to the next one because I was going to go over my 7,000 mark. I think it would have been even longer to wait, so I made some interesting plot adjustments! It will be much more interesting now! I've changed my updates to monthly, but there may not be one for March because of my birthday and me leaving the state for awhile. But I will try my best!

And of course, a huge thank you everyone who read, reviewed, or even clicked on my story! It means a lot to me! And to my wonderful beta who actually edited the rest of the chapter while I was in school before they went to work! I wasn't expecting that surprise!


	4. Chapter 3: Security

**HOROSCOPE **

Chapter Three: Security

Duo trudged back into St. Gabriel Academy early Monday morning. His feet were seemingly made of lead as he groaned loudly with every dragging step he took. The brunette never felt so entirely worn out in his life. His legs were sore, but felt like they were hallow and filled with jelly at the same time. Despite all his pain, he couldn't help but smile.

The weekend with the Winners and the rest of his new friends had been amazing, and certainly eventful. Quatre had been concerned that he had not planned enough activities for his friends to be thoroughly entertained. As it turned out, the Winner Heir arranged _too _many things for the mini-vacation.

Duo had been determined to do everything on the blond's list however, despite how impossible the time table appeared.

"_There's no way we can do all of this," Wufei argued, looking at the hastily scribbled schedule that Duo and Quatre had devised before dinner Friday evening. "It's just too much."_

"_Nonsense," the American argued back, appraising his work happily. "I bet we can get this all done by Saturday afternoon."_

Needless to say, a little over half of the list remained incomplete. The quintet managed to visit the local shopping outlets, the aquarium, the amusement park and a small arcade.

_Duo spied the arcade tucked away in a small, slightly run down part in the down town district of the city. He spotted a set of first-person shooter games and immediately challenged Heero to a game. The cobalt-eyed boy accepted, after much taunting from the other._

"_You're on, Maxwell."_

_Quatre, Trowa and Wufei were more interested in the nature park that was located in the space adjacent to the small arcade. The blond found a nice place to sit in the shade beneath a healthy grove of large adult oak trees. Wufei broke a branch off from one of the trees and swung it around idly as he watched the two brunettes jostling and shoving each other immaturely as they played. _

_Well, Duo was shoving playfully and Heero was growling. It was obvious he took the game very seriously._

_Heero easily wiped the floor with Duo in their shooting contest, having had prior training on hand guns. It was simple: take your mark, and fire. It was only a matter of minutes before Duo cursed as a bloody 'game over' appeared on his half of the screen. Immediately, the long haired boy shoved a hand into his pants pocket and crammed more coins into the machine._

"Hey Trowa," Duo grumbled in greeting when he saw the familiar brunette. "How's it hangin'?"

A few students were looking their way, huddled together tightly in small clusters. Trowa shrugged in response, causing Duo to sigh and muss up his hair with his fingers. During their short holiday, the taller boy had become slightly more chatty and open, but only if Quatre had somehow pulled the quieter teen out of his shell and into a conversation. It was wishful thinking hoping that the other would act the same with so many people around and without the Winner heir's prodding.

"_Wow, look at that shark!" Quatre gasped excitedly as a large tiger-shark swam past with it jaws wide open, exposing its long rows of sharp teeth. "Have you ever seen anything with teeth like that before, Trowa?"_

_The taller shook his head._

"_No. This is the first time, but I've seen a lion's teeth before," he answered softly, watching as a ray floated down closer to the bottom of the tank._

_Quatre nearly bounced at the response before pulling Trowa towards more of the bigger sharks._

A couple of girls stared at Duo, who shot them a puzzled look when they immediately turned to something in their hands and began talking in hushed voices. The brunette shrugged and continued on his way down the hall with Trowa.

Girls were strange anyway.

_After much coaxing from Quatre after Duo's fifth consecutive loss, the group decided to return to the Winner Estate for lunch. They were once again enthusiastically greeted by Sandrock, who bounded out into the yard and licked Duo excitedly. The girls were away on their own outings, leaving only Fyra, Iria and Rashid in the house._

_Lunch was set out extravagantly on the table. There were plates filled with different meats and vegetables and platters with deliciously ripe fruits. Duo's eyes practically bugged out at the spread and immediately dug in, the others eating more slowly._

The pair made their way down the hall, heading towards where Heero and Quatre were known to loiter and chat before class. Trowa's brow creased as he noticed more and more students staring at them as they walked. After the time that they had been there, he didn't think that they would still be such a novelty. And it wasn't like their other brunette and blond friends were with him to drawn attention their way either, being as they were rather plain on their own.

_Wait…_the olive eyed teen thought pensively. _They're only staring at Duo._

_Sunday came too quickly for the boys as they began preparing for their return to St. Gabriel on Monday. Duo attempted to rouse the other boys into going out again, but they would have none of it. Heero wasn't interested in going back in town so soon, Wufei's head was pounding from Heero and Duo's constant bickering, and Quatre's skin was pink and irritated from getting into the wrong sort of plants when he visiting the nature park. Trowa was the only one that had no problem with the long haired boy's suggestion, but he was disinclined to go wandering off without Quatre._

"_But what about the amusement park?" Duo asked, watching one of Quatre's sisters rub aloe lotion on the blond's infected arms._

"_We can go next time," Quatre promised, fighting off the urge to scratch at the horribly itchy blotches on his skin. _

_Duo looked put out for a second, but was quickly appeased when he noticed a shiny white gaming system stationed in front of the television in the room._

"_Hey, Quatre! What's that?"_

"_Oh you want to play?"_

_After five minutes of explaining how to use the two controllers, Duo was swinging his arms around wildly has he happily played which ever game was left in the console. Wufei made the unfortunate mistake of getting to close to the American as he played, earning a quick hit to the nose._

"_Oh, man! Sorry, Wufei!"_

Duo seemed unaware as he continued to bounce down the hall. He finally spotted a familiar head of blond hair at the end of the hall and he called out.

"Quatre!" Duo waved his hands to get the other's attention. "Hey, Quatre! Over here!"

Quatre, Duo learned, loved being away from his house. More often than once, the others were treated to a clash between Winner Senior and his heir.

"_Quatre and his father don't really get along," Wufei had warned Trowa and Duo as they unpacked their bags in Quatre's room. "So don't be surprised."_

But Duo _was_ surprised when he saw how hostilely and standoffish the normally timid blond became when his father was in the room.

"_You should come home on more weekends," Fyra insisted, watching his son dig around in the cabinets for tea. "You don't spend enough time with your family."_

_"Maybe I __**do**__ come home more often and __**you're**_ _just never here to notice," Quatre argued, taking the tea and leaving the room without another word to his father._

The blue eyed Arabian never went out of his way to start an argument with his father, but it seemed that they disagreed on almost everything. There was one particular incident on Sunday, when everyone was winding down, that Fyra Winner sought out his son and began to discuss future business matters. Quatre became irritated instantly and began to distance himself from the older man.

"Duo!" Quatre rushed over immediately, and grabbed onto the brunette's shoulders, startling him. "Duo, everyone is talking about you."

The American's braid swished to the side as he tilted his head in confusion. He hadn't seen Quatre this worked up before. His skin was still tinted pink from the plants, but now his cheeks were dusted darkly with a rosy hue of flush.

"So?" the colonist asked with no real concern. "They were always talking, Q. What's so different about it now?" Duo didn't voice that he thought that the school would have moved onto some more interesting type of gossip by now.

"It _is_ different," Quatre insisted. His eyes were wide with worry. "They've been talking since we got back. Something must have happened while we were gone during the liberty. I've been asked a lot of weird questions too. I don't know what's going on."

"I think I could help there," Wufei's voice came from behind Trowa. The Asian teen walked up, a print-sized flyer in his hands. "_These _were taped in the dormitories this morning. You wouldn't have seen them since I was the only one who came back on Sunday."

Wufei held the flyer out to Duo, who snatched it out of his hands immediately when he caught sight of the heading. Quatre read over his shoulder worriedly and Trowa gave them room to fuss as Wufei watched their expressions carefully. The flyer was actually a newspaper clipping from A.C.188 and a more recent photo of Duo and Heero sitting at a table in the cafeteria.

_MAXWELL CHURCH MASSACRE: Church in Colony L2 Destroyed by Alliance troops. One child survives._

_The Maxwell Church was destroyed this weekend after suspicion of their involvement with the Alliance Military. OZ soldiers were spotted entering and exiting the church; wounded and armed alike. Sources say that the priest of the church, Father Maxwell, was possibly a spy for the Alliance. The Alliance denies this accusation as an orphan residing in the church, Duo, was caught stealing food from their supply house with other war orphans._

_The actual cause for Alliance destroying, and slaughtering the inhabitants of the church still remain unknown at this time, but there was a report of a stolen mobile suit unit just moments prior to the attack. Only three bodies were recovered from the ruins, all being abandoned OZ soldiers too wounded to be treated. Nearby, there was a makeshift grave where investigators discovered the bodies of Father Maxwell and the Sister Helen._

_The body of the orphan allegedly living at the church was never recovered. Investigators found no evidence of-_

Duo couldn't read anymore. The edges of the flyer creased in his hands as his body shook. His vision became clouded as tears began to collect in his eyes.

"Duo?" Quatre asked softly, placing a comforting hand on the American's shoulder. The brunette flinched away from the touch harshly and tore the paper in his hands into tiny shreds.

"This is bullshit!" Duo raged, flinging the ruined scraps of paper into the air. "Who would dig up something like this? It doesn't _matter _anymore!"

The Winner heir gave his friend a sympathetic look, having read most of the article before the L2 colonist had a chance to destroy it.

"I'm sure that it's just a misunderstanding," Quatre tried to reason. "They could have—Duo!"

The American stormed off. Wufei held Quatre back from pursuing the brunette, shaking his head solemnly. Blue eyes locked with hard black and Wufei silently conveyed his message.

_Duo needs to figure this out on his own._

The students were being annoying, Heero decided as he stepped out of a stall in the boy's lavatory. He went to the sink to wash his hands and splashed some of the cool water onto his face. Ever since they all began to mill out of the dormitories this morning, they had been talking nonstop. The Japanese teen didn't bother to listen to what they were talking about, having never found what they had to say of any interest to him before.

His mind began to wander back to the weekend he just spent with Quatre and the others at the Winner Estate. A smile threatened to tug at his lips as he remembered Duo running around the aquarium with a completely childish look plastered over his face. The American had looked three years younger than he was with his face pressed against the polished glass, making bizarre faces at the aquatic life in the tanks.

_Duo leaned over the edge of the tank, watching the hermit crabs scuttle around in their odd shells. The brunette was flanked on either side by Quatre and Wufei. There were smaller children, who were visiting the aquarium with their parents, hanging onto the guard rail across from the teens to peer into the water. _

_Tiny hands reached into the tank excitedly, trying to grab for one of the small crabs. The boy leaned into far and threw his hands down wildly to stop himself from falling. His palms slapped harshly against the water. Wufei jumped back quickly as a large wave of water surged up from the sudden impact._

_Duo didn't notice, too absorbed in watching the crabs fight over a brightly coloured shell. Quatre squealed as he was pulled back by Trowa, just in time to see Duo become completely drenched in the tank water. The brunette stepped from the tank and looked down to examine his suddenly soaked clothes._

"_What the _hell _just happened?" Duo sputtered, shaking some of the water from his sleeves. Heero and Wufei naturally took the opportunity to point and laugh at the dripping American._

_Duo sneezed periodically for the rest of the afternoon._

Duo was still troublesome, Heero confirmed as he gazed at his reflection staring back at him in the mirror, but he wasn't much of an obligation anymore. Not that Heero ever felt that he was _obligated _to do _anything. _Quatre bringing him into the fold was the first step, and somehow the rambunctious American was able to wheedle his way into Heero's good graces.

It was an amazing feat, really.

Duo wasn't immune to Heero's natural coldness like Quatre was, however. The Japanese teen was sure there would always be the teeth grinding and fist clenching moments with the long haired boy. It was a given. They were polar opposites in every way from the way they acted to even their own appearances. But Heero couldn't help but notice the intersting turn their—was it friendship?—was taking.

Wiping his hands off on a clean cloth he kept in his blazer, he exited the bathroom and was hit hard by something. The force was enough to knock him down, sending him crashing to the floor. The Japanese boy groaned and rubbed his head before rounding onto the person who ran into him.

"Watch where you're going you...!" Heero blinked. "Duo?"

Violet eyes blinked back tears. His eyes were red and puffy from the salty tears irritating the sensitive area. The American sniffed noisily and swiped his sleeve across his face, clearing away the evidence of his crying from his face.

"I'm sorry, Heero," Duo mumbled uncharacteristically softly, pushing himself back up to his feet. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

Heero felt a strange twinge run through his body. Seeing the other like that, tear tracks staining his face and his nose red from crying, made him inexplicably angry. Sad didn't work on Duo_. _The moisture leaking from the American's eyes looked unnatural. He was supposed to be annoyingly happy and energetic _always._

"What happened?" Heero asked firmly. He tried to look into the other's eyes, but Duo kept looking away stubbornly.

"Nothing…" Duo answered, rubbing at his face again.

"_I may run and hide, but I'll never tell a lie!"_

"Duo."

"It's nothing, Heero."

A group of students were standing near a classroom door, talking animatedly amongst themselves, when they spied Duo stomping loudly down the hallway. They held one of the flyers between them and immediately began to stare at the angry American.

"What!" Duo barked in frustration when he noticed their eyes on them.

One of the girls shrunk back in fear, but the others continued to watch Duo with the same contempt and disgust in their eyes.

"This was probably all _your _fault," a boy sneered, thrusting the flyer forward. "This was you, wasn't it? You ran away like a coward."

"Duo _Maxwell_, huh?" The other girl piped in. "How arrogant, stealing the name of such an honorable priest. You don't deserve his name."

Duo bit his lip, his teeth bared as he struggled to resist flying forward and decking the other boys in the face.

"_Oh Duo, you did it __**again**__!" Sister Helen shouted in exasperation as she tried to reign in the struggling eight year old._

"_I-It was __**their**_ _fault…__**theirs**__!"Duo sobbed, throwing his arms around in an attempt to loosen the nun's hold on him._

"_How can you say that, when it was __**you**__ that sent the other kids to the hospital?"_

"_Yeah…but…" Duo mumbled and looked away._

_Sister Helen dropped down onto her knees so she was eye level with the young boy and held gently onto the front of his clothes. His cheeks, which he inflated in irritation, were flushed and puffy from the struggle. She looked into his violet eyes that were on the brink of shedding tears. Her expression of anger softened into concern._

"_Duo, what…did they say to you?"_

It was just like his old school on the Colony. No one wanted him there, and no one wanted him here either. He clenched his fist tightly until his knuckles turned white.

The other teens didn't seem concerned, continuing to taunt the other and laughing. They insulted him just as the other kids from L2 had. The scars began to reopen as the group closed in, digging into his oldest wounds left behind from his past.

Duo raised his hand to strike, but was surprised when a larger hand enclosed itself around his cocked fist.

"What seems to be the problem here?" A smooth tenor voice cut in.

The students stopped their teasing and stared up at the tall man towering over them behind Duo. The man was long and lean with straight platinum blond hair that cascaded fluidly down his broad shoulders. His eyes were piercing and icy as he stared intently at the students before him with a 'no nonsense' look about them.

"N-Nothing…" one of the boys stammered, backing away from Duo now out of fear of the blond man.

"Then why don't you run along to class, before you're late."

They nodded and ran off quickly down the hall, not even taking the time to note if their classes were down that wing. The man turned to address Duo, but blinked in confusion when he saw the brunette was already gone.

Dorothy Catalonia sat with Relena in the cafeteria, sipping delicately at her usual cup of morning tea. Breakfast was set out in front of the girls, but neither seemed interested. Dorothy watched as Relena fretted quietly to herself. The Vice Minister's daughter had wanted to invite Heero to spend the weekend liberty with her and her family on their yacht, but the stoic brunette was nowhere to be found. Relena asked around if anyone knew where Heero went off to and was distressed to learn that he and his new merry troupe of misfit friends would be spending the weekend with the Winner's.

The former princess raved to Dorothy for seemingly hours, complaining about how Quatre always got to Heero first and that the new kids had no right to suddenly start hogging her crush. Relena's nails were worn down from all of her frustrated chewing, forcing her to get three different manicures during the weekend to repair the damage.

"I don't understand," Relena sighed, poking at her scrambled eggs forlornly. "Once upon a time, Heero was interested in me. At least I _thought _he was."

"Don't worry, Miss Relena," Dorothy smiled, the expression looking eerie with her features. "I'm sure everything will work out fine."

"You think so, Dorothy?" Relena asked hopefully.

Dorothy looked down at the flyer sitting in her lap. She folded it and slipped it into her blazer, her icy eyes dancing happily.

"I know so."

Duo sat on one of the toilet seats in the stalls, his face covered with toilet tissue. Heero had dragged the protesting boy with him into the bathroom and practically threw him into the nearest stall. Cobalt eyes stared down at the seated brunette as he cleaned up his face. Heero didn't believe Duo for a second when he said nothing was wrong.

"Want to try again?" Heero demanded with his arms crossed.

Duo looked up at Heero and glared from behind his wad of tissues. He removed them with a snort and tossed it down between his legs and into the toilet.

"No, I don't," Duo snapped. He was about to continue and yell at the boy standing above him when he noticed the other's eyes.

They were angry, of course, burning with the fire that Heero possessed as he seethed at usually nothing in particular. Duo was used to this look, and the Japanese boy's other trademark apathetic expression that he normally wore. But if was different this time. There was just anger swimming around in those enigmatic blue pools. There was determination and…._concern?_

It felt like something clicking into place.

Duo softened his gaze until the frustration he was planning on shooting at Heero bubbled away into practically nothing. He sniffed again and his lips turned into a small smile.

"Just some kids being stupid," Duo insisted. He reached over and yanked more toilet tissue from the holder to blow his nose. "I overreacted. Really."

A fine brow arched as Heero tried to decide if Duo's latest statement was trustworthy. The Japanese teen grunted before exiting Duo's stall. It wasn't his business. Why was he reacting this way?

_It's because he's you're friend, _some unknown voice claimed in his mind, pretending to be his own thoughts. Heero would never think of something so blatantly _sappy._

"Quatre is rubbing off on me," Heero muttered to himself as he walked back over to the sinks and once again washed his face. He didn't hear Duo come to stand behind him, so he was reasonably startled when a pair of warm arms wrapped themselves around his middle and Duo's cheek pressed against his back.

"Thank you, Heero," Duo whispered, offering the stiff teen a gentle squeeze.

Heero was rendered speechless. He felt awkward in the embrace, not sure if he should remain still or shove the other boy off of his body. His mind was screaming at him that this wasn't normal. Boys don't _hug _each other, they punch each other.

_But it feels so nice, _another part of him screamed just as loudly. Having the American's arms so securely around him, his warm breath heating up his skin through the layers of his uniform, was a comforting feeling. Heero felt as if he could relax and simply melt away into the other's arms.

_Was it friendship? _Heero asked himself again as he felt his body swelling with a foreign emotion. His mind was once again at war with itself. His fingers twitched at his sides and his mind tried to decided either to make him push Duo away or pull him into a deeper embrace.

His cheeks began to flush as he realized his appreciation for Duo's sudden affection was also being to be felt elsewhere. Quickly, the Japanese boy rearranged himself, and after a bit of a struggle, was able to wriggle his way out of the braided boy's hold.

"That's enough," Heero said, moving awkwardly to hide his blush and the _other _predicament from the American as he regained his personal space. "You're going to miss your first class."

"Shit!" Duo shouted suddenly, scrambling to get to the door. "I have art first! Wufei warned me Mr. Khushrenada really strict about tardiness!"

In a blur of brown and blue, Duo was gone; leaving Heero to sink to the floor, releasing the breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

"Damn it," Heero muttered, running his fingers through his hair.

_What is wrong with me?_

Quatre tapped his pencil nervously against his sketch book and he watched the door intently, waiting for it to open and for Duo to come bursting through. The Arabian hadn't seen the brunette since his outburst in the hall and he was worried that something might be wrong. His mind wandered to the article, the gaps in Duo's past filled ever-so-slightly. Had Duo really lived through something as awful as that? How did he manage to remain so positive?

Just as Quatre was hoping, his thoughts were broken when Duo came tumbling into the room, his uniform slightly out of place from running so quickly down the hallway.

"Ah, Mr. Maxwell," Mr. Khushrenada greeted as he watched his student pick himself up off the floor. "So good of you to join us. Please take a seat and Mr. Marquis will be sure to catch you up on what you've missed."

_Mr. Marquis?_ _That's right. He said we'd have a student teacher. _Duo nodded and scurried over to his place next to Quatre, who was relieved to see his friend was looking mostly back to normal.

"We meet again."

Duo nearly jumped out of his skin at the familiar voice.

"Y-You!" Duo gasped intelligently. "You're the man from the hallway! Um…Thanks." The man nodded and offered his hand to Duo, which the American took and shook dutifully.

"I'm Zechs Marquis," he introduced. "I will be student teaching here with Mr. Khushrenada for the remainder of the year."

Mr. Marquis quickly explained to Duo what the rest of the class was doing and let the brunette set off to work. The blond man was very similar to Mr. Khushrenada, Duo noted. His mannerisms were just as serious as the other teachers, but they lacked the warmth and humor the other man possessed, but was still able to engage the rest of the class in whatever he was saying. Duo found him easier on the eyes than Mr. Khushrenada, but thought he was less comfortable speaking to Mr. Marquis.

_It's probably because of how young he is, _Duo reasoned when he noticed the age difference between the two men.

The hour ticked by quickly. Eyes continued to travel in Duo's direction, everyone in the school having read the distributed flyer by now, but no one bothered to say anything. A crumbled note was aimed Duo's way from one of the boys across the table, but it was easily intercepted by Mr. Marquis who unfolded the note and gave the sender a stern glare.

"That's all class," Mr. Khushrenada announced once the bell sounded. The students began to pack up their things and file out. "Oh, not you, Mr. Maxwell. We need to talk."

Quatre signaled that he would be waiting outside as Mr. Khushrenada turned on Duo. The lecture was brief, stressing the importance of punctuality and the disruption that lateness causes the rest of the class. The brunette hung his head, but was pleased when the artist said he would only be giving him a warning this time.

"Mr. Marquis was kind enough to vouch for you and informed me that you had a bit of trouble before class," Mr. Khushrenada said with a smile on his face. "But don't let it happen again."

Duo smiled at the blond teacher, noting to himself that he would need to thank him again later. The brunette nodded to Mr. Khushrenada before heading out the door where Quatre was waiting. A few students were out in the halls, some filing into the classroom that the two had just occupied.

"Are you okay, Duo?" Quatre asked. Between Mr. Khushrenada and Mr. Marquis, it was almost impossible to get in a conversation during the class.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Duo assured, his usual smile back on his face. Quatre looked at the brunette critically. "I was just a little shocked to see that, you know? That was eight years ago, so I didn't think I would hear about it again. It's fine really."

Quatre nodded. He offered his American friend a small smile and rubbed his shoulder gently. "Okay. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to come find me."

"You know I will!"

_Lunch doesn't come fast enough, _Duo decided as he shoveled some food onto his plate from the buffet table. His appetite wasn't as large as usual, but he didn't want to rouse more suspicion from his friends. Quatre had been watching him like a hawk during their art class, and Heero had actually _almost _taken it easy on the American in their fencing lesson.

Duo sauntered over to the usual table and blinked when he saw only Quatre and Heero sitting there. "Where's Trowa and Wufei?"

Heero shrugged and spooned some soup into his mouth quietly. The Japanese boy was still slightly shaken from the incident earlier in the bathroom. He could still feel the warmth of the other's arms against his stomach and the heat from his breath lingered in the fibers of his uniform. He shivered slightly, sloshing around the soup he held in his spoon.

Duo failed to notice Heero's discomfort and he slowly tucked into his own meal.

"I don't know where Trowa is," Quatre answered solemnly. He didn't have the tall teen in any of his classes until the last slot of the day. "I think I saw Wufei heading to the art room. Maybe he had something he needed to finish for Mr. Khushrenada? Oh, and I saw Mr. Khushrenada in the office. He said that you left your sketch book."

The three ate their lunch quietly, each preoccupied with their own thoughts. When there were fifteen minutes left for lunch, Quatre stood to excuse himself, saying he was going to look for Trowa. Duo picked at his food for a while longer before standing as well.

"I'm going to go get my book," Duo said as he cleared away his mess from the table. "I'll see you later, Heero."

Heero gave the other a curt nod and watched as he exited the cafeteria.

Relena spied Heero suddenly alone, and jumped on the chance. She made her way over to the brunette's table and invited herself to sit down. Heero didn't seem to notice the girl's presence, his mind too focused on the bubbly American now missing from the table.

"_Come and have lunch with me, Chang."_

Wufei was seated in the art room. His face was resting in one hand as the other tapped impatiently at the dark wood desk, waiting for the other to arrive.

_He invites me to eat with him, and then doesn't show, _Wufei grumbled to himself as he stared longingly at the lunch be brought with him. His stomach grumbled with him, voicing its complaints of not being fed yet.

"You look like a spoiled puppy," Zechs mocked as he stepped into the room, the heels of his boots clicking loudly on the floor in the silent room.

Wufei spared the other man only a glare.

Zechs Marquis was a long-time friend of Treize Khushrenada prior to becoming a student teacher in his charge. They went way back, Treize claimed when he introduced the blond man to Wufei's class. Wufei saw the older man as nothing but a nuisance. He wore an arrogant smirk on his face and he threaded through the students' desks, pointing out problems with their works and giving them tips.

Most of the girls in the class swooned when the alluring blond leaned over the shoulders and pointed his enticingly longer fingers at their drawings and whispered praise in their ears. More times than the Chinese boy could count, he had to drown out the annoying sounds of girls giggling and hands flapping as they hurried to fan themselves off less they faint from all the blood rushing to their cheeks.

"_He's so dreamy!"_

"_Oh, I wonder if he's single?"_

"_I hope so! I've always wanted blond babies!"_

"Did you need something?" Wufei retorted coolly. He reached under the desk and into his bag and pulled out a pad of drawing paper. He planned to sketch in order to distract himself from the teacher.

"I just wanted to talk," Zechs said, coming to sit on the desk. "Mr. Khushrenada has told me about you. He speaks very fondly of you, you know. Being his '_star pupil'_," Zechs sighed dramatically.

Wufei didn't respond and continued to furiously scribble. Zechs, seemingly unsatisfied with the result, decided to probe further.

"I haven't seen you work yet, of course," he continued. "But it must be _something _worth noting if it's gotten Treize that hot and bothered over it."

Wufei choked. He began to cough as he tried to clear his throat so he could breath properly again.

_What did he say! _Wufei shrieked mentally.

"E -Excuse me?" The dark haired boy sputtered, finally unblocking his air way. "I think I misunderstood you."

"You might have, but you probably didn't," Zechs said and stood. "He's in the office speaking with the principal. Treize, I mean—if you're waiting for him."

With that, Zechs sauntered out, leaving a very shocked and very annoyed Wufei in his wake.

Quatre wandered around the campus grounds, searching for the tall olive-eyed teen. He checked Trowa's previous classes, courtesy of the office secretary, who simply _loved _Quatre, the bathrooms, the bleachers, the basketball court, and the garden in the court yard. The Arabian was about to give up until he walked pass one of gymnasium storage rooms and noticed a light shining underneath the door.

Curiously, the blond walked over and pulled the door open.

Well he found Trowa. And what a sight he was greeted with.

The tall European was suspended from the higher of the two double bars, flipping and twisting himself gracefully in the air. He flipped himself quickly and supported his entire weight on his hand clenching the bar, his feet pointed upwards towards the ceiling. A small bead of sweat trickled down the side of his face as he forced himself to remain upright.

Trowa released his tight grip and swung his legs inward so they rested just above the bar and spun so he was hanging upside down from the bar. His green eye blinked when he caught sight of the awed blond gaping at him from the doorway. He dropped down to the ground immediately, sticking the landing flawlessly.

"Quatre."

"That was amazing, Trowa!" Quatre applauded. Hearing his name from the quiet boy tore him from the trance he was drawn in from seeing the other gliding through the air. "I didn't know you did gymnastics. You must have practiced a long time to become that good."

Trowa nodded and moved to stand in front of his shorter blond friend. He was surprised that the other was able to track him down. If it had been anyone besides Quatre, Trowa would have found the situation very frightening and concerning. But on the blond, he decided, it was cute.

"Is this where you've been disappearing to?" The Arabian asked. Trowa nodded.

"I used to perform," he said quietly, accepting the towel that Quatre handed him from the shelf. He dabbed the perspiration from his face.

Quatre chatted excitedly about Trowa's hidden talent, praising and complimenting the other boy constantly. His blue eyes were bright with mirth as he beamed up at his taller friend. He bounced on the balls of his feet, looking half his age.

"Have you ever entered a competition? Do you want to? I bet you'd win. What about—" Quatre fired off questions a mile a minute.

The tall European brought the towel up to his face to hide his mouth, and the small smile that formed. He reached out and ruffled the soft crown of blond hair on the other's head. Quatre's smile faded slightly as he looked adorably puzzled at Trowa. He blinked.

_Cute._

Duo walked quickly down the hallway, heading towards the art room. He already had his plan of attack: Thank Mr. Marquis for getting him off the hook with Mr. Khushrenada and then retrieve his sketch book. There weren't many students lingering around the halls during the lunch hour, giving Duo an uninterrupted journey to his destination.

When the brunette arrived at the room, the door was ajar. He walked up to the door and peeked inside, noticing the only two occupants of the room. Mr. Khushrenada and Wufei were seated at the formers desk, a small spread of food laid out on the dark wood. The Chinese teen was smiling as he ate, talking lightly with the teacher at his side.

They were sitting very close, their thighs grazing each other underneath the concealment of the desk. Mr. Khushrenada was leaning against the back of his chair casually and laughed at something that the student said.

Duo was debating whether or not he should make his presence know, when someone cleared their throat loudly behind him. The American started and wheeled around to see Mr. Marquis standing behind him with Duo's missing sketch book outstretched in his hand.

"Forget something, Mr. Maxwell?" Mr. Marquis said with one fine eyebrow arched inquisitively. The man leaned over the boy and pulled the door closed.

Duo chuckled nervously and stepped away from the older man, his back hitting slightly against the newly closed door. He reached forward and took the book, holding it out protectively in front of himself to create a boundary between himself and the student teacher.

"Uh, yeah thanks," Duo said and slipped underneath the man's arms and back into open space. "And thanks for telling Mr. Khushrenada about before and stuff…" He trailed off awkwardly.

"It was no problem, Duo," Mr. Marquis assured, removing his hand from the door knob. "It's sad, but children are often the most cruel among human beings. Try not to make a habit out of it."

_I definitely won't,_ Duo thought as he walked away with sketch book in hand.

He practically ran down the hallway to get as far away from Zechs Marquis as he possibly could.

Relena was all but glowing as she strolled down the hall with Heero at her side. After a lot of poking and shouting, the strawberry blond was finally able to get the brunette to take notice of her in the final class they happened to share. She proceeded to ask the other how his weekend was, despite the fact that she already knew how he had spent it.

The pair talked for a while. Well, Relena talked and Heero mostly appeared to be listening. His mind was preoccupied elsewhere as he tried to sort his jumbled thoughts running around, untamed, in his head. Like a gentleman, Heero offered to escort the girl to her next class. Not bothering to tell the other there was no next class, Relena nearly jumped at the idea and snaked her arm around Heero's and rested her head against his shoulder.

It felt warm too, but it wasn't the same.

"Walk me to my dorm?" she asked sweetly, batting her eyelashes at the boy hooked to her arm.

"Why not?"

The former princess lips threatened to split with how widely she smiled at the response. She was going to walk as slow as she could, to make this precious moment last.

_Finally. Heero all to myself!_

They parted ways just outside the entrance to the girls' dormitory. Relena stood up on her toes and planted a quick kiss to Heero's cheek.

"Good night, Heero," she purred as she skipped inside the building, not noticing the brunette immediately wiping the kiss from his skin.

_Heero smirked as he brought his hand down, his fingers spreading feather-light touches against the smooth expanse of soft skin. The chest tightened as the boy beneath him sucked in a sharp breath. The Japanese boy's smirk grew and dragged the tip of his finger agonizingly slow across a deliciously pink nipple._

"_Ahhh…"_

_Heero leaned down and ran his tongue along the hardening nub, his hands coming up to pinch the neglected one between his fingers. He sucked on the sensitive skin and grazed his teeth gently against the nipple, eliciting a moan from his partner._

"_H-Heero…" the other moaned wantonly._

_Their bodies slid together perfectly, the thin layer of sweat causing their skin move without resistance. Heero pulled the other up into a searing open mouth kiss. Their tongues clashed immediately, both delving deeply. A thin trail of saliva ran down the boy's mouth._

_Chocolate colored hair tumbled down around them, curtaining the two lovers into their own world. Nothing else existed, save them. Suddenly, Heero found himself pressed on his back against sheets. Pearly white teeth flashed dangerously above the Japanese teen. _

_He pulled Heero closer, moaning loudly when their straining erections brushed together, uninhibited by clothing._

_Soon, the sound of flesh slapping together and the boys' pants and moans were the only sounds resonating loudly in the room._

"_Nnngh…"_

_The room became unbearably hot. The scent of sex and the musk of sweat mixed dangerously, Heero becoming drunk off of the intoxicating aroma. Their bodies reacted as one, gasping together and moaning together, each burst and shiver of pleasure shared equally. They were both teetering on the edge of completion. Hips thrust almost painfully together causing bright lights to flash behind Heero's closed eye lids. _

_Someone cried out and Heero's stomach was splattered with warmth. Cobalt eyes fluttered open and looked up into lust-filled violet eyes._

"_Oh God, Heero."_

_A star burst of color exploded behind Heero's eyes, making him suddenly aware only of the body pressed so tightly close to his, and the waves of ecstasy flowing through his body._

"_D—"_

Everything was dark.

**つづく**

**Author's Remarks: **I am _so _sorry for the-oh _wow!_**-**_eight month _wait for this update. My month off for my birthday continued into me becoming sick, getting distracted by games, and many other things that I don't even remember anymore because it's been so long. This chapter was very difficult for me to write. I started work on it in April, but because of the previous chapter being cut off, I had to merge the last part into the new chapter, which was _hard. _I tried several times over the last few months to get past the awkward 600 word mark that I stopped at, but it just wasn't working. Getting past three chapters has always been a personal issue with myself when writing, so I'm so glad to have finally beaten it! I don't know how, but I managed to complete almost this entire chapter during my philosophy class yesterday!

The plot is thickening now! So far, the developing romance between Duo and Heero has been rather one-sided, so we'll see what Duo has to say about these turn of events in the next chapters. Which I hope won't be so difficult as this one. Oh, and the little teaser at the end was a combination of me trying to make up for the long wait and my need to get some loving into this story!

Also, does anyone know how to include page breaks? I just noticed today that the website ate them. :I

Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 4: Exploration I

**HOROSCOPE**

**LIBRA: September 23- October 22**

_**Every adolescent Libran's fantasy is to find the Prince or Princess of their dreams. As their lives unfold, the experiences, false starts, dramas, broken hearts and disillusionment they encounter seeking this personal Holy Grail, often shapes their futures in the most extra-ordinary manner. Love and love-lost makes a big difference to the Libran although their often happy-go-lucky appearance against all kinds of odds may not reveal this as fact.**_

Chapter Four: Exploration (Part I)

Heero awoke to an unfortunate stickiness between his legs and in the sheets. He groaned and rolled over onto his stomach, burying his face into his pillow. His skin was uncomfortably hot and the sweat on his body made the sheets cling to his body. Memories from the night began to flood into his mind in an overwhelming rush.

_Their skin rubbed together, stirring up a fiery friction in the lower regions of their bodies. Gasps and moans were ripped from their throats as they thrust together erratically, both trying to reach that blissful plateau together. Long, wavy hair brushed against Heero's skin as he moved against the other's body. __And violet__ eyes peered up at him coyly from beneath his tousled bangs._

Heero's face heated up in embarrassment. He pressed his face deeper into his pillow, gripping the edges of the fabric tightly. _I can't believe this…_ Heero groaned to himself, shifting around awkwardly in the mess. _Why did I have a dream like __**that **__About __**Duo**__?_

The dreams had been plaguing the Japanese teen for a few days now spanning over two weeks. It felt like every time he closed his eyes, the strange fantasies with Duo would begin. He had tried everything he could think of to make the dreams stop, but to no avail. This was the first time, however, that he was left with a tangible aftermath.

The Japanese teen laid in bed awhile longer, fully intent on smothering himself in his pillows. His thoughts were flying around wildly in his head. He couldn't focus on one thought long enough to make sense of it before another thought crossed his mind. _Why did I dream about Duo? Why did I dream about a __**guy**__? Am I attracted to him? __Would he really moan that loud?_

Heero blanched.

Heero turned his head to the side, looking at the digital clock that sat on the nightstand by the bed. It displayed a glaringly bright red _3:53 AM_ mockingly, causing the brunette to groan for the umpteenth time that morning. He moved around restlessly in the bed. The brunette was determined to fall back into sleep, but thoughts of Duo sweating on the basketball court and Duo panting as he was pressed against his mattress were very distracting.

* * *

Heero's alarm went off a few hours later. He slapped his hand down hard on the top to silence it. Small bags had formed under the Japanese teen's eyes, the elaborate fantasies once again robbing him of sleep. Heero blinked tiredly a couple of times before he managed to climb out of his bed.

He hadn't gone back to sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, he was assaulted by provocative images of Duo. Most of them were fantasies, conjured up by his hormonal teenage mind, while others were heavily distorted memories. Heero was almost one hundred percent certain that Duo would _not _suggestively lick his fencing rapier while moaning loudly and batting his eyes seductively in the middle of class.

His bed was an absolute mess. The pillows were strewn everywhere and the sheets that were spilling off the side were tangled and newly stained. The Japanese teen grumbled to himself and balled them up and tossed them into a corner for laundry to deal with later. Heero grabbed his towel and made his way to his en suite bathroom.

How was he going to face Duo without thinking about his less-than-appropriate dreams? Heero turned the water as cold as it could get before stepping into the shower. He soaked his head thoroughly under the cold spray. He could feel his mind beginning to numb and all the thoughts washing away. The images of Duo slowly faded into the back of his mind and he sighed.

Heero kept the temperature low for the rest of his shower, as anything higher made him think of the heat of their two bodies pressed tightly together. The brunette finished quickly and toweled himself dry. As he was pulling on his uniform and tidying his hair, Heero kept repeating to himself that it was only a dream.

Once he was ready, Heero grabbed his bag from its place next to the door and pulled the door open—

—and was surprised to see Quatre and Duo there, the latter poised to knock.

"Good morning, Heero," Quatre smiled happily in greeting.

"What are you doing here?" Heero croaked, his throat having dried up at the sight of the American. His cheeks flushed instantly as the images he worked so hard to suppress slowly began to bubble back to the surface.

Quatre eyed Heero curiously when he saw the rose hue brush over Heero's cheeks. It was strange to see the pink color on the other's cheeks as Heero was always very careful what feelings he openly showed. _Maybe he's just still warm from his shower, _Quatre thought, but he seemed skeptical. Heero wasn't flushed when he first opened the door.

"We thought we'd come and get you for class, Buddy," Duo smiled; seemingly unaware of how uncomfortable the other was with his presence.

Heero swallowed hard and slung his bag onto his shoulders. _The sooner I go, the sooner we'll split up for classes._ Heero nodded and pulled his door shut behind him as he stepped out.

* * *

"Are you feeling okay, Heero?" Quatre asked quietly as they walked. "You seem…different."

_Trust Quatre to be able to tell when something is amiss, _Heero thought bitterly.

The blond Arab seemed to have some sort of distress sensor that started sounding loudly whenever something was off with Heero. The Japanese teen knew his face wasn't betraying him—he had years of practice hiding what he was feeling. Once before, Heero was getting sick and Quatre was able to tell before even Heero himself and forced the other teen down to the infirmary. Heero protested the entire way, but immediately silenced when the acting nurse told him he had the beginnings of strep throat.

The week had been filled with an insufferably caring Quatre bringing him ice cream of every flavor to his room once a day.

"I'm fine," Heero grumbled back, making sure that Duo wasn't paying attention to their conversation. "I just had a rough night."

Quatre knew that tone well. Heero always spoke to him that way when there was something on his mind that he didn't want to speak about with someone else around. _What does he want to keep from Duo? _Quatre thought curiously. Despite the earlier hitches in their relationship, he thought that the two brunettes were getting along well and that Heero wouldn't be so shut off around him. _It must be really personal._

"I know you'll tell me when you're ready," Quatre smiled warmly at his friend who nodded in response.

* * *

Duo and Wufei were seated next to each other again in math. The familiar thin square frames were balanced on Wufei's nose as he scribbled out the notes the teacher was writing on the board. Duo's elbow was rested on the table, supporting his head as he stared dreamily ahead.

Duo's mind was plagued with thoughts of Heero and his unnecessary adorableness that morning. Heero's messy chocolate hair had been matted down from his shower, his overly long bangs clinging to his face and framing his cobalt eyes. His cheeks were tinted a rosy shade from the heat in his shower, his lips slightly parted; his uniform falling perfectly against his well-defined muscles, and—

Duo swallowed hard.

He was cute, Duo admitted appreciatively as he continued to day dream. When he was first introduced to Heero a week ago he thought that the Japanese boy was incredibly mean looking, but that didn't bother Duo in the least. He was right, of course, about Heero being mean. He had to be one of the coldest people that Duo had ever met, but that was easy enough for him to get around. His best friend was Quatre, after all, who positively radiated with nothing but kindness.

Their relationship rapidly grew from Duo being the bane of Heero's existence, to a begrudged acquaintance, to reluctant friend in almost no time. Now that Duo knew Heero, he wanted _more. _He had been thinking about the other boy nonstop since the weekend liberty at Quatre's home had ended. It could just be infatuation or just a silly adolescent crush, but either way, Duo wanted to see where it could go.

The only obstacle was Heero himself. Sure everyone considered them friends now, but it was still unimaginably difficult to interact with the boy. Sometimes, Duo swore he was talking to himself or a brick wall. Getting Heero to open up, and even consider something greater than a friendship with Duo, was going to be like trying getting milk from an apple.

"Duo, pay attention," Wufei scolded and slid his elbow so that it knocked into Duo's. The American yelped and quickly caught himself before his chin hit the desk.

"Ouch," Duo groaned, rubbing his sore chin. He turned to Wufei and shot the Chinese teen a small glare. "Yeah, gee thanks. Remind me not to day dream around you again."

Wufei snorted. He had been watching the brunette gaze off into space for the past few minutes. His eyes had glazed over and he had gotten a goofy grin on his face. Well—no goofier than how he normally looked. At one point, Duo had made an odd grunting sound and that's when Wufei decided to jostle him back into reality.

"If the nun had seen you, she would have done more than give you a sore chin," Wufei reminded and Duo winced. He remembered all too well how the nuns at his school on colony L2 acted when the students misbehaved. "And you should be glad that she's old and that she couldn't _hear _you," Wufei added with a knowing look.

Duo's face lit up bright red. He hadn't realized he had been making any sounds and buried his face into his hands in embarrassment. A few of the students sitting near them peered over curiously, but quickly went back to minding her business when Wufei sent them a withering glare from over the top of his thin-wire frames.

After the exchange, the nun announced that the class would be working in pairs for the last part of class. The students quickly paired up, most going to different sides of the room, seeking out their friends. Everyone paired up quickly, leaving Duo and Wufei together. Not that either of them minded. Wufei didn't talk to anyone else in the class besides Duo, and Duo could see the flyers still ever present peeking out from between pages of his classmates' text books.

"Hey, Wu-man," Duo started, doodling on the corner of his worksheet. "What do you think of Heero?"

Wufei blanched at the name and ground his teeth together. His grip on his pencil tightened and he took a quick, deep, calming breath. Sometimes, it was hard to control his urges to shove Duo's face into his desk. 'Wu-man' was only the latest of the nicknames the American had been so _generous _to give Wufei. It had just started off with Wu, and then Fei, which hadn't too bad, but then the names got more outrageous like Fei-Fei and Wuffers.

"Did you just call me a 'woman'?" Wufei gritted out.

"Hmm?" Duo tilted his head to the side. He hadn't really been paying much attention to what he said. "Oh. No, I said Wu-man, not woman."

Wufei growled and flexed his fingers twice, fighting his body's natural urge to throttle the brunette. "It's the same—never mind. Why did you ask me about Heero?"

"I just want to know your opinion on the guy," Duo shrugged, trying to be careful as to not let his true intentions slip. Wufei knew Heero first, so next to Quatre, he would be the best person to ask. Of course, he always planned on interrogating the blond Arabian later, but there was always a risk that he would tell Heero Duo was asking about him.

"I believe Yuy is one of the most frustrating individuals that I have ever met," Wufei grumbled. He set down his pencil for the moment, realizing that they wouldn't get any work done while Duo was apparently preoccupied with thoughts of the other Asian teen. Wufei noticed Duo's face fall after the admission. "But he is very smart and he is strong too, I suppose."

"Do you like him?" Duo pressed, his eyes getting childishly wider.

"I don't hate him," Wufei sighed. "He's an okay guy when he wants to be; which I don't believe is very often."

Duo had to chuckle at that. It was true that Heero was much more prickly than cuddly, but that's what Duo liked. The brunette found that he liked all of his new friends for different reasons: Trowa's calmness, Quatre's kindness and Wufei's intelligence. But Heero—he could find so much more that he liked. He was a challenge to talk to, but the reward was great in his mind. Heero was obviously socially challenged and Duo thought it was cute the way he would react to certain things, like Duo's constant teasing.

The Chinese teen's admission seemed to satisfy Duo, and he leaned back into his seat with a content smile on his face.

* * *

Trowa sat stiffly in his chair. All the other students around him were chatting away happily before the teacher entered the classroom. This was one of the few classes that Trowa did not share with either Quatre or Duo, so he felt disinclined to join into the socialization.

The tall teen took in a deep, sighing breath and silently wished that the blond Arabian was sitting beside him with his endearing smile; or Duo, with his infectious laughter. Even Wufei or Heero would have been a welcomed presence. Anything familiar; anything safe.

The door finally opened and the chatting ceased as the teacher came in. It was a different teacher than before. Usually, an older, balding gentleman presided over the class, but instead, a slender, young lady with short curly hair stepped into the room. She closed the door behind her softly and made her way to the front of the room, her heels clicking rhythmically on the floor.

"Good morning class," she greeted with a gentle voice. "Mr. Septum is out on medical leave for a few weeks, so I will be substituting for him until he is able to return. My name is Catherine Bloom."

Trowa watched as the woman quickly scribbled 'Miss Bloom' on the blackboard. Catherine turned back around and faced the class, her blue-gray eyes landing on Trowa's with a gentle smile. The brunette blinked in confusion as he felt something odd tugging at him in his chest.

_What's going on?_ Trowa asked himself silently, once Catherine's attention moved from him to address the rest of the students. _Her eyes….why did I feel that way?_

Catherine dove immediately into the lesson, going off the notes that Mr. Septum had left behind for her. She first surveyed the class to see what they actually knew before continuing with the lesson. Her approach was so much different than Septum's. She guided the class carefully, making sure everyone understood before moving on to the next point, unlike Septum who would rush through, trying to cram as much information in the hour and twenty minutes that he could.

She smiled gently and gave praise where it was due. However, she was not a push over. When a small group of students began whispering to themselves during class, Catherine was quick to reprimand them for their rudeness. She didn't yell but was firm, directing them back into the flow of the lesson with the rest of the class.

After a few more minutes of lecture, Catherine released the class to work independently or in pairs for the duration of the period on their assignments. Most of the class paired off almost immediately, causing the classroom to grow a bit louder as their chatter broke through the silence of the room.

Catherine didn't stay at her desk as Septum would have, and instead, made rounds through the room, offering any help or hints she could. She noticed all the students were working diligently together, save for one, Trowa, who was sitting off on his own and silently writing in his notebook.

"Is everything okay...?" Catherine tried to ask.

"Trowa," the European answered quietly.

"Trowa," Catherine smiled as she repeated the name. "Are you doing okay? I noticed you weren't working with anyone else."

Trowa shook his head slowly. "No, I'm not. I don't know anyone."

"Oh." Catherine looked sympathetically at the tall youth. He looked very lost, almost sad, sitting by himself that Catherine had felt herself being pulled over almost by some unseen force to him. She pulled out the chair from the empty desk next to him and took a seat. "Well, do you mind if I work with you?"

Trowa shrugged. He wasn't uncomfortable with her being so close like he had been at first when he arrived at St. Gabriel Academy a couple of weeks ago. He felt more at ease with her than anything as she sat with him, pointing out the mistakes in his notes.

Trowa was impressed and almost surprised with her manner. She was almost more like an older sister, than a teacher with the way that she spoke with him and guided him through the assignment. Catherine didn't scoff or look down on him when she noticed how far behind his was academically compared to his classmates, but she noticed how bright he was. She smiled when she saw that the tall European was soaking in everything that she said and that he read like a sponge. Slowly, he was able to understand the material.

Catherine looked up and saw that the period was almost over. She stood from her seat and moved back towards the front of the class, but not before patting Trowa encouragingly on his back. "Good work, Trowa." She offered him another smile.

Trowa felt himself smile back, though his was much smaller than Catherine's. He shook his head slightly to clear his thoughts and began to gather up his things after she dismissed the class. He slid his books and pens into his bag. As he headed out the door, he turned back to look at Catherine and wondered to himself.

_Why does she seem so familiar?_

* * *

"See you later, Wufei," the American waved as he and Wufei parted ways. The rest of class had been spent much in the same way. Duo would day dream and Wufei would knock him back into focus. More than once, Duo would whisper to the Chinese teen, asking him more questions about Heero.

"What's his favourite colour? When's his birthday? Does he like animals? Sandrock seemed to like him."

Wufei was ready to put an end to either himself or the bubbly brunette before the period was over, however, he was able to restrain himself. He was about to scold the brunette, when noticed the look on Duo's face. His cheeks were flushed with excitement and his eyes were bright. Wufei was completely taken aback. Was Duo really that enamored with Heero? It was starting to seem like it.

Once the two parted ways, Duo made his way down the hall and headed for his next class. He was still thinking about Heero of course as he went, his step gaining a noticeable bounce. He had spent most of the class trying to sort out his feelings for Heero and what his plan of attack would be.

He definitely liked Heero, Duo decided, but at what level? They had already passed the acquaintance stage and had progressed nicely, although difficultly, into friendship. Duo felt that his feeling did not stop there, however. He had urges associated with Heero that he did not feel for the others. He felt himself wondering what it would feel like to have Heero's lips pressed against his own. How would their bodies feel pressed together as they kissed? Duo certainly didn't want to do anything like that with Quatre or Wufei.

Duo smiled and a small blush covered his round cheeks when he realized that he was imagining himself kissing Heero. He had to admit though, the idea was very appealing and he wouldn't mind finding out for sure if his imagination was just as good as reality. He hoped that reality would be even better.

"I need to talk to him," Duo said resolutely. Just thinking about kissing the Japanese colonist was doing nothing to get him closer to his goal.

Duo wasn't sure about how Heero felt about him, however, and that was one thing that made him hesitate. Heero was not very social by nature. And, they were both males. What if that idea disgusted Heero? It didn't bother Duo at all, really. Father Maxwell had told him, that those differences in people are okay, and that God would not create his children in a way that was not acceptable.

Duo wasn't sure how much of this he believed. He didn't believe in Father Maxwell's God, first of all, and believed that the only God that existed was Death. Secondly, if that was the case, then murderers and criminals were acceptable people? Thinking about it that way made Duo's head ache and decided it would be best to leave his past out of the question.

Suddenly, the floor beneath Duo began to shake. He stopped walking and placed his palms on the wall for support. A few of the other students in the hall seemed to notice the shaking as well, and had stopped and began to look around in worry.

"Oh my God!"

"It's an earthquake!"

The rumbling grew and the students in the hall began to panic, their noise nearly blocking the sound of the PA system crackling to life.

* * *

Heero and Quatre were sitting at adjacent desks as usual. The brunette would loathe to admit it, but he valued the classes he shared together with the blond. Quatre acted as a sort of buffer between Heero and the other students. Anyone who wanted to get to Heero would have to through the impenetrable Fortress Winner. The Arabian was familiar with how uncomfortable Heero was with social situations and would politely decline on the other's behalf. Something else Heero was uncomfortable with doing.

Heero was still lost in his thoughts thinking about the American teen. It was difficult, Heero realized, to sort out these foreign emotions. Was he really feeling affection for the other boy? He had no idea, but he had an idea of someone who would.

"Quatre," Heero said quietly to get the blond's attention. "I need to talk to you."

"Of course, Heero," the Arabian nodded with a smile.

Dorothy Catalonia sat a few desks away from the duo. She was too far away to hear what the boys were saying, but it was not terribly difficult to follow their line of conversation by just reading their lips.

Heero opened his mouth to speak, but then his cheeks flushed when he realized what he was about to do. Quatre titled his head to the side when he saw the brunette's odd reaction.

"Heero?" Quatre prodded gently. "You know you can tell me anything. We're best friends, remember?"

The Japanese teen nodded. Quatre was right. They had been friends for years, and since that time, the blond has been nothing less than honest and trustworthy.

"What do you do if you think you like someone?" Heero finally managed after firmly squashing his fears of embarrassment and disloyalty.

"Think you like—" Quatre had to bite his lip to keep from squealing in excitement, lest he alert the rest of the class.

Heero was suddenly reminded of the girls with the bubble gum pink lip-gloss and the glitter nail polish. They would cluster together and giggle and talk about boys and who their dream guys were. Heero had, unfortunately, been at the end of one-too-many of their assaults and it was frightening how the blond had resembled them in that brief instant.

"Sorry," Quatre apologized once he noticed his over-excitement was off-putting to the other boy. "Who is it? Do I know them?"

"…Duo," Heero responded, careful and unsure. He didn't know how the Arabian felt about _that_ sort of thing. Would he be disgusted and shy away from him? Or would he be accepting and supportive? He couldn't imagine the blond turning him away based on something like that, but homosexuality was still a touchy subject amongst the people of the Earth Sphere.

_Oh my now _this _is interesting_, Dorothy smiled to herself. She didn't catch all of what was said, but she was certain she now knew that Heero, Relena's romantic interest, was emotionally attached to another boy. And one of the war orphans at that! She almost couldn't contain herself with this new juicy tidbit of information.

She wondered how she could use this to her advantage. Life at the academy had grown so boring and dull that she was worried something exciting would ever happened. Little plans of mischief and mayhem began to dance in her head. Dorothy knew, of course, that if she wanted her budding war to blossom into a beautiful bloom, she would have to take matters into her own had. _And as the saying goes,_ Dorothy's smile turned into a malicious grin.

_All's fair in love and war._

"Duo?" Quatre asked quietly for confirmation. He didn't think Heero really felt attracted to _any_ person, so imagining him falling for the boisterous brunette was—adorable.

Heero didn't have the chance to respond before tremors rocked through the classroom. The students began to swell into a panic as the earth shook harder and harder, the walls rumbling loudly around them. The teacher tried to calm the girls who had started screaming and crying.

"Attention Saint Gabriel Academy," came the principal's voice over the PA system. "Teachers, please escort your students to the safety of their dormitories. No one is to leave school grounds. I repeat; students are to return to their dormitories."

* * *

Duo was almost swept away in the milling crowds of students and teachers trying to make it quickly to the dorms. No one was sure what happened still, but the tremors throughout the building were enough to instill fear in everyone's minds and they rushed out of the building. The American was searching the crowds for the familiar mess of dark hair. It was not the best situation, considering the state of mayhem the academy was it, but now would be the easiest time for them to speak without anyone else around to hear.

Finally, amongst the swarm of panicky students, Duo spotted Heero, cool as always, making his way easily through the throng of bodies.

"Heero!" Duo called out, excusing himself hurriedly as he pushed his way past the other students.

Heero turned at hearing his name and his stomach dropped. He had just begun contemplating what to do about his newly discovered feelings for the other colonist and he wasn't sure if he was ready for a confrontation just then. He didn't have time to think, however, as Duo quickly made his way through the horde of students and was soon right in front of him.

"Heero, h-hey," the American stammered. He was slight out of breath from running across the hall. "I want to talk to you."

Dorothy moved behind the nearby wall to watch the exchange without being noticed. She knew about the evacuation orders, but she was much more interested in seeing how the situation between the two brunettes was unfolding. Duo's cheeks were already flushed, she noticed, and his ever-present goofy smile was there. Heero looked apprehensive with the other's approach, but he did not retreat. Not that the Japanese boy was one to run away from any sort of confrontation.

_We'll just have to wait and see, now won't we? _Dorothy thought to herself. _Let's see how brave you'll be, Mr. Yuy._

Heero only nodded his response, but was saved from having to endure the awkward moment with the brunette by Quatre pulling on his arm.

"Heero, there you are," Quatre said, his voice strained with worry. "Did you hear? There's a mobile suit battle near the school!"

Both brunettes' eyebrows rose at the declaration. The war had been raging between the Oz and Alliance Military for over a decade. The battles were normally fought in space or in vacated areas of the Earth Sphere. It was rare, but on a few occasions, the battles had involved towns in the effect of total war. All three of the boys were from the colonies, but each experience was different. Quatre, who grew up in a well-to-do neighbourhood, was not used to the idea of a war going on in his backyard. For Duo and Heero, however, it was something much more common.

The three boys made their way down the hallway quickly, ushered along by the different teachers that were patrolling the building to guide the students to safety. In all the loudness and confusion, the trio was misplaced from one another in the chaos.

* * *

**つづく**

**Author's Remarks:** So...sorry it took longer than I wanted, but there was still so much I needed to get done in this chapter. It was getting a bit long, so I cut it. The other half will be much more interesting...finally a little bit of action! I've decided against the name change, and instead the chapter will take place during the dates of certain Zodiac signs. When the time in the story significantly progresses, the dates and excerpt will change. I'm not sure if I will go back and add this element to the old chapters. What do you think? I will do my best to finish part two whenever I get a break from University.


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